- A new report claims that AirPods with heart rate monitoring will arrive
- ‘Sensors to measure other health data’ are also planned
- The Ultra 3 watch and new Series models could also offer high blood pressure detection
A report from January 12 claims that Apple could be much closer to offering pulse readings on AirPods, something that both tipsters and analysts have predicted since early 2022.
The tidbit (and it really is a tidbit) in Mark Gurman’s latest Power On missive reads: “Apple is planning a revamped health app, as well as an AI-based workout service, and additional capabilities for AirPods. That includes heart rate monitoring and sensors to measure other health data.”
Gurman also claims that Apple’s unannounced Ultra 3 Watch and new models in the series will likely offer high blood pressure detection. However, despite stating that the Ultra 3 will “get satellite connectivity and access to the RedCap 5G network” as Apple works with partner Globalstar Inc. to boost its satellite service, it’s not entirely clear how these additional health features will be implemented. , whether on AirPods or Apple’s. line of smart watches. Our guess (and it’s just an educated guess) is that Apple could try to refine the accuracy of the Ultra 3’s blood pressure readings with cloud-based encrypted analytics, but it’s a working hypothesis.
AirPods didn’t do it first, so they’ll have to do better…
The idea of headphones that can monitor your heart isn’t new, but it’s certainly proven elusive. In June 2022, the Honor Earbuds 3 Pro initially featured temperature-taking capabilities, but did not gain the desired medical backing in the EU and UK to support the benefit. Then, in July of that same year, after much speculation about the then-unreleased top-of-the-line Apple AirPods’ compatibility (or lack thereof) for temperature detection and perhaps a heart rate monitor, it didn’t either. They made the September 2022 flagship AirPods, which we now call the AirPods Pro 2.
Apple may simply not have added heart rate monitoring to the AirPods Pro 2. The feature appeared on the first Apple Watch, but of course, that wearable device sits on your wrist (an ideal spot for such readings) while the AirPods are much smaller and have little room for sensors. But it’s not that it can’t be done with headphones. In fact, the humble Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 that I tested shortly after the furore surrounding the Honor/Apple temperature sensor race (released in early October 2022 and to very little fanfare) were the first headphones to arrive with a proper ticker , but the feature was worded as “stress monitoring,” rather than a full reading of your pulse.
Why label it like that? Probably because (without wanting to be too dramatic) the pulse is a matter of life and death. The existence of a heartbeat in humans is a sure sign of life, and its regularity and strength are a key indicator of health. Government health bodies are likely taking this matter as seriously as it deserves, and unless a method is found that ensures reliable accuracy, it will be difficult for headphones to gain full approval as heart rate monitoring devices. in certain markets. Take Apple’s headphone feature for example: the US gets the full version thanks to FDA approval; The UK currently only supports AirPods Pro 2 hearing tests rather than the full complement.
It’s a smart idea from Anker to focus on the stress and still deliver the feature, with the heart in charge. Obviously, our pulse increases when we’re stressed because the brain releases hormones (hello adrenaline; hello cortisol) to make our heart beat faster and prepare us to flee from a perceived threat.
Find the best way to our hearts.
Interestingly, Google is working on a different solution to offer heart rate tracking in future headphones, called audioplethysmography (or APG, because you really need to shorten it). It works by sending a “low-intensity ultrasound probe signal” through the speakers, which then bounces back into the ear canal. The echoes sent are received by built-in feedback microphones, which are crucially influenced by “small displacements of the skin of the ear canal and vibrations of the heartbeat” to monitor your heart rate, but since we reported on this in October 2023 and it has not yet reached the market, that is not a quick solution either.
Of course, many of the best smartwatches can measure your heart rate, so putting it on your headphones may seem like a trivial matter. But as mentioned above, the watch is placed very close to your pulse to provide a reading and is generally more of an investment than a pair of headphones. Our pick of the bunch, the Apple Watch Ultra 2, is priced at $799 / £799 / AU$1,399.
Meanwhile, the AirPods Pro 3’s big bet this year is health tracking, but if this as-yet-unannounced iteration arrives with a similar price to the AirPods Pro 2 of $249 / £249 / AU$399, and With a heart rate monitor, customers can try to get the health answers they want without having to hand over so much cash to Apple. And so, while I really hope that happens, I’m glad that the powers that be are apparently acting cautiously.
