The very serious Wall Street Journal recently published an article detailing what Apple would be preparing for its range of wireless headphones. According to documents obtained from internal sources at Apple, and linked to AirPods prototypes, Californian engineers are studying the integration ofseveral new health features.
The first would concern thebody temperature. This would involve placing a probe on the earpieces capable of taking the temperature from inside the ear. This would not be very surprising in itself, many digital thermometers on the market work this way, by inserting themselves into the hollow of the ear to take the measurement. But most are quite massive, Apple's performance would be there to integrate such technology on a device as small as an AirPods headset.
© Unsplash / Kelly Sikkema
The second health novelty would be thepossibility of correcting the posture of the wearers. Having poor posture, particularly when standing, but also sitting, can have painful repercussions on the back, but also on the cervical level. Thanks to new technologies taking advantage of the motion sensor integrated into AirPods, they could then warn the listener in the event of poor posture and confirm good posture.
Finally, for hearing-impaired users, the third new feature is in line with the function recently introduced on AirPods Pro: Conversation Boost. Apple is in fact working to transform its headphones into realhearing aid. There are many technical barriers to break down, notably that of autonomy – hearing aids offer several days of autonomy – but also that of approval from health organizations. But the Cupertino company has already succeeded in getting its Apple Watch ECG accepted in several countries around the world, so it could well succeed in making AirPods a very interesting accessory for users with hearing loss, to a certain extent obviously. . It would not be a question of restoring hearing in people suffering from severe deafness a priori.
© Unsplash / Mark Paton
If these three improvements seem attractive to us, know that they are not expected to see the light of day before 2022.
In any case, they confirm Apple's growing interest in health. At the moment of the Apple Watch, which has gone from a luxury accessory to a health accessory, the AirPods, initially an audio accessory,could meet the same fate.
How about being able to take advantage of a thermometer in AirPods? And what do you think of the two other posture correction and hearing aid features for Apple's headphones?
Editor-in-chief for iPhon.fr. Pierre is like Indiana Jones, looking for the lost iOS trick. Also a long-time Mac user, Apple devices hold no secrets for him. Contact: pierre[a]iphon.fr.
