Next AirPods Pro to track your health, act as hearing aid, check body temperature

Arguably, Apple AirPods are the most popular wireless earbuds of all time, with Apple generating $12.1 billion from sales alone in 2021. However, due to their open-ear design, the AirPods lack any sort of noise cancellation, and this is where the AirPods Pro come in. First announced in 2019, the AirPods Pro feature an in-ear design with ear tips to create a seal. Due to this, the AirPods Pro also get features like Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), Transparency mode, and Spatial Audio. Last year, Apple introduced the 2nd iteration of the AirPods Pro and although they don’t have big features, the AirPods Pro 2nd Gen are an improvement over its predecessor.

However, it seems like Apple might be planning to bring revolutionary features to its next AirPods Pro and it could directly track your health.

Next AirPods Pro - a hearing aid?

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is reportedly planning to introduce several health-related features with its next iteration of AirPods Pro. In his Power On newsletter, Gurman claimed that the next AirPods Pro could come with a feature that checks if the user suffers from hearing loss. Apple already has an audiogram feature that allows users to tune earphones according to their hearing, albeit via third-party apps. It is expected that Apple could integrate this into its operating system if it plans to position AirPods Pro as a hearing aid.

Temperature sensor

The next AirPods Pro could also have a sensor that would allow you to check your body temperature via your ear canal which would allow more accurate temperature tracking to let the wearer know if they are sick. These features could be supported by the upcoming iOS 17 update which was announced at Apple’s WWDC 2023.

Moreover, Gurman also claimed that the next AirPods Pro could come with a USB Type-C charging port instead of its proprietary lightning port. According to reports, Apple is already planning to shift its iPhones to USB Type-C in accordance with the EU legislation, and AirPods Pro could get the same treatment.

Possible launch date

While these features might get you excited about the next AirPods Pro, you shouldn’t expect them to come out anytime soon. Gurman claims that the next AirPods are “several months or even years away,” although a newer version with USB Type-C could arrive soon. This corroborates a previous report by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo who claimed that AirPods with USB Type-C could come out later this year.

It is important to note that there is no certainty if it would be the next generation of AirPods or if Apple would simply introduce a new case with the new USB Type-C port.