WSJ: Apple is investigating AirPods that can measure posture and body temperature

Apple is investigating whether AirPods can be equipped with additional medical functions, according to The Wall Street Journal. Specifically, the company is looking at whether the wireless earphones can measure body temperature and whether they can help with the user’s posture.

Apple would have already developed prototype AirPods for measuring the temperature, the newspaper writes based on sources and internal documents. This prototype could measure the temperature of the user in the ear. Earlier, the paper and analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said next year’s Apple Watch Series 8 would also get a body temperature sensor. Kuo also spoke at the time about health features for future AirPods, without giving details.

Apple would also like to use the existing motion sensors within the AirPods to measure posture. The earphones would warn users if they are going to fall. The sources and documents warn that the Apple features are unlikely to be in the 2022 AirPods and may never make it to the market.

Apple would also be researching hearing aids. It’s not clear whether Apple would develop new hearing aid features for the AirPods, or whether the company would market existing sound enhancement features from the AirPods as hearing aid features. The AirPods Pro, for example, has the conversation boost function, which improves the volume and clarity of the conversation partner directly in front of the user. According to the newspaper, Apple has long wanted to provide more devices with health functions in addition to the Apple Watch.