According to a new report from The Wall Street Journal, future AirPods could serve as an “unofficial” hearing aid; the company couldn’t mark them as such. They could also monitor body temperature and posture.
The WSJ says this is part of Apple’s plans to makes the earbuds into a health device. The tech giant has the “ambition” of adding health and wellness features to devices beyond the Apple Watch,” the article adds.
Apple also touts a “Live Listen” feature. With Live Listen, your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch can act like a microphone that sends sound to your AirPods, AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, or Powerbeats Pro. Live Listen can help you hear a conversation in a noisy area or even hear someone speaking across the room.
And the company also offers “Conversation Boost.” This feature isolates the voice of the person in front of you, and amplifies it while also reducing ambient noise. As a result, you will be able to hear the person you’re speaking to more clearly.
If the WSJ is correct, Apple wants the AirPods to be an essential item for those with hearing issues. As for the rest of us, the earbuds may one day tell us if we have a temperature — or if we’re slouching.
