Apple Executive Hints Next AirPods Earbuds Could Come With Fitness Tracking Features

Apple’s next-generation AirPods could likely feature fitness tracking capabilities. In an interview with TechCrunch, Kevin Lynch, Apple vice president of technology indicated there’s a potential that its TWS earbuds could feature sensor fusion that is available across “some devices.” It essentially fuses data from multiple devices, say an iPhone and Apple Watch, and with software tweaks, users can get accurate results. The senior executive did not specify the model, though it is likely to feature on AirPods Pro 2, which are rumoured to launch next year. The AirPods 3 may launch later this year without ANC support, old reports tip.

“We already do sensor fusion across some devices today, and I think there’s all kinds of potential here,” he said. Lynch also spoke about health features on iOS 15 and watchOS 8 that will arrive later this year. He also spoke about Apple’s new walking steadiness feature for Apple Watch models to enable users to track how they move through their daily lives. Using metrics like walking speed, step length, and overall body balance, the tool aims to calculate whether the user is prone to fall. “We were working on fall detection, and that’s been really awesome, but as we’re working on it, we’re brainstorming about how we can actually help people not fall, rather than just detecting that they fell. It’s pretty tricky to do that in the moment,” Lynch told TechCrunch.

The new development comes weeks after Bloomberg reported that the AirPods Pro 2 would carry shorter stems and include new fitness-related features. Currently, select TWS devices like Amazfit Zenbuds, and Jabra Sport Pulse Special Edition are capable of monitoring pulse rate and sleep. Another notable Apple tracker Ming-Chi Kuo state last year that AirPods 3 may come with a system-in-package (SiP) solution akin to AirPods Pro for a compact design. The regular model will also reportedly include Apple’s H1 chip to enable clearer audio, Siri commands, noise-cancelling capabilities, and more.

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