AirPods have been a huge success for Apple, but now there are many earbuds on the market that are just as good (or better), and Apple’s lead isn’t what it used to be. So Apple needs to develop the AirPods, and health, not music, will be the next area for innovation, according to a new report.
In the paid section of his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman predicts that AirPods will be upgraded with “the ability to somehow retrieve hearing data” within the next two years. Gurman cites the Live Listen feature already in AirPods, which uses the iPhone’s microphone to record audio that is then sent to the listener, but points out that it’s not an FDA-approved feature. According to his report, that could change in a future AirPods update.
“I believe Apple plans to upgrade the AirPods over the next two years to become a health aid, with the ability to somehow obtain hearing data,” he wrote. “Given Apple’s goal of making health one of its next big initiatives, I wouldn’t be surprised if the AirPods eventually take over. [Live Listen] functions more official.”
Gurman doesn’t specify what other features Apple might implement, or if the AirPods would be redesigned to accommodate such features. Hearing aids may have features such as directional microphones, speech isolation, natural sound reproduction, and the ability to recognize and realistically play back the wearer’s own voice.
Apple’s focus on health began with the Apple Watch, and it’s been a successful market for the company because the health features are well executed and work seamlessly with the device. So it makes sense for Apple to follow suit with the AirPods and take the next two years to make sure the features are done properly.
