Rumor: Apple gives AirPods thermometers and hearing tests

Apple is said to be working on features for its upcoming AirPods models. This includes thermometers to track body temperature and software to perform hearing tests on users.

Apple AirPods

The thermometer in the ear canal should work better than the one on the wrist of current Apple Watch models, reports Bloomberg author Mark Gurman. The thermometer in the Apple Watch is now used to track the menstrual cycle, but the one in AirPods would also be used to detect colds and other viral infections, for example.

In addition, Apple would like to use the AirPods for users’ hearing tests. That’s part of a new strategy to make AirPods more of a hearing aid. This is already partly done through options such as Live Listen and Conversation Boost, where the AirPods amplify the sound of conversation partners to make them more audible.

In addition, the charging case for AirPods switches to USB-C, Gurman reports. The latter has been clear for some time. It is unknown when new versions of the AirPods should be released. The last new version was in 2021. There will be no new AirPods Pro models yet, because the most recent version was last year. However, the cheapest models could receive a price reduction, so that they would be available for under 100 dollars in the US for the first time.