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| Apple explores the potential of AirPods as a healthy device |
Apple is looking at ways to turn AirPods into healthy devices, including improving hearing, tracking body temperature and monitoring posture, according to documents reviewed by the Wall Street Journal.
These plans also illustrate the company's ambition to add health features to devices other than the Apple Watch. Most of the company's current health functions are on the Apple Watch.
The Wall Street Journal reported last month that Apple is also looking at technologies to use the iPhone to diagnose depression and cognitive decline.
Tasks may include using headphones to measure the wearer's body temperature, monitor body position, and improve hearing. The Wall Street Journal noted that it is not yet clear whether the latter differ significantly in functionality from the AirPods' dialogue improvements.
These posts aren't expected until next year, according to the Wall Street Journal, and may never be revealed to consumers because the weather may change.
In other words, it seems that iPhone manufacturers are only exploring these new health features, rather than actively incorporating them into products that may hit the market in a year or two.
Adding such sensors makes sense for the company. Apple increasingly markets its products by leveraging the strengths of health and fitness apps. Although attention has so far been focused on the Apple Watch.
A report last month showed that the company is considering adding various sensors to its wearables, including monitoring blood pressure, temperature, sleep quality, blood oxygen and blood sugar.
Incorporating healthy features into commercial products is a challenging task. This is mainly due to the difficulty of meeting high medical regulatory standards. This inevitably leads to delays.
Apple is looking for AirPods that can measure body temperature
For example, in June, there were reports that the next generation Apple Watch would add temperature monitoring. But this feature never appeared on the Apple Watch 7 in September.
The Wall Street Journal report didn't provide many details about the company's AirPods plan. The problem of measuring a person's ear temperature is very common. Although there are many devices on the market that use digital sensors to warn the wearer when they are limping.
Apple has indicated that it is interested in using AirPods as a type of hearing aid. Although the helmet is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration for this purpose.