If the success of AirPods has not diminished since their release in 2016, Apple is far from having exhausted its ideas to attract ever more customers. After noise reduction and then hearing aids, the firm wants to go further in the field of health.
Health first!
Just weeks after new hearing health features launched for the AirPods Pro 2 with iOS 18.1, a new report actually suggests that Apple is prioritizing health as a primary focus for future AirPods models.
According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo on MediumApple is “repositioning” AirPods to focus more on health management, after the successful approach used with the Apple Watch. He explains:
Following the success of the Apple Watch, AirPods are being repositioned to focus on health management, with future models incorporating more health management features.
While Kuo doesn’t detail specific new features, he does emphasize that health will be a central part of Apple’s future strategy for its line of wireless earbuds. This change aligns well with the positive reception to iOS 18.1’s hearing aid, hearing test, and hearing protection features, suggesting there is strong potential for AirPods to incorporate even more sensors focused on health in the future. Remember that France does not yet have the right to these three new products, with Apple awaiting approval from the European Medicines Agency.
Like the Apple Watch
Just as the Apple Watch has become essential for health tracking, AirPods could evolve into an equally essential tool for well-being. Apple’s strategy for the Apple Watch has transformed it from a practical accessory into a health device, and AirPods could follow the same path.
A while ago, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman also reported on engineering work at Apple to integrate sensors that could measure body temperature through the ear canal, a method likely to be more accurate than temperature readings on the wrist. We also regularly talk about heart rate monitoring, a new feature that could arrive on the AirPods Pro 3.
But this is only the beginning, Apple would have big ambitions in terms of health for its future products. At the same time, the life expectancy of Americans has been declining steadily in recent years.
