According to Mark Gurman in today’s Power On newsletter from Bloomberg, certain AirPods will receive a new hearing health feature supported by iOS 17. This feature will enable users to check for potential hearing issues and might even be capable of measuring body temperature through the ear canal.
Gurman also mentions that all of Apple’s upcoming headphones will include USB-C, and although new models of AirPods Pro and AirPods Max are being planned, he does not believe new hardware will be released shortly.
AirPods already support audiograms, which are audio profiles that help the AirPods adjust to your hearing abilities by identifying areas where your hearing may be weaker. To generate an audiogram, you can use the Mimi app.
Apple’s Sherlocking
Apple intends to incorporate a built-in hearing test feature into its operating system, which is a practice known as “Sherlocking,” where third-party features and apps are integrated into Apple’s system.
Similar capabilities are already present in other wireless earbuds. For instance, the Jabra Elite 75t introduced MySound in 2020, which creates personalized sound profiles by playing tones in each ear and prompting users to tap their screen when they hear a sound. The Nothing Ear 2, launched this year, includes a hearing test and audio profile feature.
Gurman reveals that Apple is considering positioning AirPods as hearing aids now that the FDA has approved over-the-counter sales of hearing aids without a prescription.
Airpods to measure body temperature
Additionally, Gurman mentions that future AirPods may be able to measure body temperature through the ear canal. Rumors about Apple implementing this feature have circulated since late 2021. The Apple Watch Series 8 introduced a similar capability last year, but it only provides relative temperature measurements primarily used for tracking the menstrual cycle.
According to Gurman, expanding temperature tracking to the AirPods could provide more accurate measurements and potentially allow Apple to alert wearers if they’re starting to feel unwell. While Gurman didn’t specify if this feature would be exclusive to the AirPods Pro, it seems likely.
However, the disappointing news from the Power On newsletter is that the updated AirPods Pro may not be released shortly. Gurman believes the new health features are still “several months or even years away.”
USB-C on AirPods?
Additionally, while USB-C AirPods may be on the horizon, the AirPods Pro tend to follow a three-year refresh cycle. Although it’s too early to make definitive conclusions based on just two product releases, the fact that the second-generation AirPods Pro was launched just last year doesn’t bode well for a new model arriving this year.
Supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo stated in March that he expects a USB-C version of the AirPods Pro to be released later this year, possibly in the second or third quarter. Kuo also mentioned that Apple doesn’t have plans for a new version of the original AirPods or the larger AirPods 3 design.
It’s plausible that the new hardware could be limited to an updated charging case, similar to how Apple introduced a standalone MagSafe case for the AirPods Pro in 2021.
Furthermore, Kuo predicted in January that Apple would release $99 AirPods and a new set of AirPods Max shortly, potentially as early as next year.
