According to the latest leaks, Apple will release new AirPods models with ambient light sensors in the next couple of years. The new sensors in the earbuds would monitor health features similar to iPhone and Apple Watch.
The report by Taiwanese publisher, DigiTimes, claims that the next-generation wireless earbuds might be manufactured by ASE Technology which is a Taiwan based global semiconductor engineering company. Based on information from industry sources, the report also says that the ASE Technology manufacturer has bought packaging machines for the new AirPods with ambient light sensors. This development substantiates the speculation that Apple has chosen the Taiwanese semiconductor manufacturer to produce its future wireless earbuds sets.
Presumably, the alleged ambient light sensors are designed to allow users to conveniently monitor health features like blood oxygen levels and heart rate from the ear. If true, the report chalks out Apple’s future plan to use its wireless earbuds with biometric sensors, like ear clips used in hospitals, to measure physiological conditions like temperature, oxygen saturation, perspiration levels and others.
Next -Generation AirPods with SiP Technology
Another report by DigiTimes details that the internal hardware of next-generation AirPods will be equipped with components to support health features. Sources claim that ASE Technology would use its semiconductor embedded in substrate (SESUB) based SiP technology in future AirPods models to support high-end mmWave antenna in package supporting 5G iPhones and iPads.
Most importantly, the report states that the advance SiP integration in the new AI design for Apple’s upcoming wireless earbuds would allow paired devices to perform various tasks like monitoring and tracking heart rate, counting steps, translations and detecting head motions.
Health is an important area of exploration and development for the Cupertino tech giant. The company has successfully added more value to Apple Watch as a health monitoring device with features like ECG, calories and step counts. According to the latest industry leaks, Apple Watch series 6 would have support for blood oxygen level monitoring and native sleep tracking. Apple’s decisions to add health tracking capabilities to AirPods will set it apart from competitors in the market.
Before the launch of second-generation AirPods in March last year, DigiTimes unsuccessfully speculated health monitoring features in the new earbuds models. We will have to wait for quite sometime to know the credibility of the latest report.
There have been several leaks on possible design and features of the upcoming AirPods model. However, we still await an official announcement from Apple.
P.S. read our comprehensive and easy-to-follow guides:
- How to fix Active Noise Cancellation on AirPods Pro
- How to connect AirPods with Mac, iPad and iPhone
- How to Connect AirPods to Android Phones
via MacRumors
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