AirPods May Gain Ability to Check Your Hearing, Temperature

Apple may soon add a new feature to its AirPods that will allow users to perform examinations on themselves for potential hearing issues and to check their body temperature, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported Sunday.

The hearing-test feature will play different tones and sounds through the AirPods to determine how well a person hears, Gurman said. The feature would be similar to the Apple Watch ECG app, which checks for heart problems, he noted, possibly making other hearing-aid apps irrelevant.

Apple already has two features, Live Listen and Conversation Boost, that can essentially turn AirPods into on-demand hearing aids. But, as noted by Bloomberg, these features aren't approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.

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The company is also working on a feature that will measure your temperature through your ear canal, Gurman wrote. The reading from the ear canal is considered more accurate than temperatures taken from your wrist, which the Apple Watch Series 8 and Ultra models collect while users sleep.

Apple has reportedly been tinkering with using AirPods to take the temperature of wearers for several years. The Wall Street Journal reported in 2021 that Apple was working to bring a thermometer and blood pressure tool to a future Apple Watch and also at how to use the iPhone to detect depression and cognitive decline. 

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But you may have to wait at least a little while for the temperature and hearing checks. The new health features may not arrive on AirPods for several months or even years, Gurman reported.

The company is also planning to offer less expensive AirPods models and to transition to USB-C charging ports, Gurman wrote.

Apple didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.