Future AirPods Could Monitor Body Temperature and Posture, and Work as a Hearing Aid

[ApplesAreSweet&Sour]

Pretty sure Apple is focusing all the health features and sensors to Apple Watch and always will be.

A lot of people don't want all these health features in any gadget and have concerns about privacy and being monitored. But they do want the latest and greatest AirPods -You're going to alienate too many AirPods buyers if AirPods with a ton of health features are the only ones you can get.

I only see this happening if Apple does a whole line of different AirPods with different features. But with several different models, you're going to water down the icon status that AirPods hold.

But then again, several different models, with several different features is something that other brands do.

The health features that seem natural on AirPods are the more hearing aid focused which is why they are already found in AirPods Pro. I do see Apple developing those further in future models.

 

[PSeg]

I once had a co-worker that believed that my AirPod was a cochlear implant...

 

[mannyvel]

My dad is basically using them as hearing aids right now. He used to get hand-me-down hearing aids from his friends (no kidding, medicare replaced them every year), but the AirPods Pros are much better. Plus I set up his hearing profile, so they're probably more functional.

The biggest secondary benefit is not having to change out those tiny batteries. I mean seriously, it's hard for seniors to deal with those tiny batteries. Now he just puts them on the wireless charger and bam, they're charged.

He uses one until its battery dies, then puts the other one in (the other ear). That lasts all day.

 

[PsykX]

My posture sucks, so is it going to buzz in my ear constantly or something?

Maybe a Tim Cook VoiceOver saying "You're sitting wrong"?

Apparently it's not going to buzz, but yes, Tim Cook is going to gently whisper it in your ear.

If you don't like that, you will also be able to switch to a Trump voice, so he can whine about the tremendous problems you have with your posture.

 

[alexandr]

You're not using your AirPods correctly! Please don't put the airpods back in your ear....

am i taking my temperature wrong?

 

[andymassey]

So… Biometric sensors in ear just like the Bragi Dash released in 2015 (still the best earphones I’ve ever owned - included MP3 player and were waterproof for swimming too), and augmented hearing just like the Here One released in 2017…?

I get Apple doing things “slow and right”, but this is 5-8 years behind the curve. The AirPods unfortunately killed both these products, with inferior tech. Such a shame. (And this is coming from a HUGE Apple fanboy.)

 

[_Spinn_]

Taking body temperature would be cool. Hearing aids are crazy expensive so it would be nice to see future AirPods become a cheaper option for some people.

 

[BenGoren]

As somebody who’s only recently started wearing hearing aids, I have mixed feelings about what’s being described in the rumor.

First, it’s not just the all-day battery necessary for effective hearing aids; it’s the form factor, too. There’s this small part that fits behind your ears with a wire that comes down that goes into your ear canal. Everybody’s ears are different, so hearing aid manufacturers make a small library of mix-and-match parts to adjust the length of the wire, the size and shape of the silicone cone that holds the wire in your ear canal, and so on; but, with a good audiologist, you wind up with something that fits like a glove and feels comfortable all day long — with zero chance of accidentally popping out. And, though I personally don’t care if other people can see that I’m wearing hearing aids, they really are nearly invisible. You basically have to be seriously into my personal space to see them.

In other words, take every usage problem or complaint you’ve ever had or heard about with earbuds, and it’s a complete non-issue with actual hearing aids. Any replacement for my hearing aids is going to have to have a form factor that’s at least this good, and no earbud ever comes remotely close.

The next part is that they’re not just indiscriminate amplifiers. After you take a standard hearing test (“press the button when you hear the tone”), a compensating EQ adjustment gets applied to the hearing aid’s output; within limits, you have “flat” hearing.

And then there’s some serious real-time signal processing going on, including various kinds of intelligent noise reduction, volume adjustment, and so on. For example, mine almost never pick up wind noise. And if I’m in the kitchen with the fans going and all sorts of other chaos … I have a bit more trouble understanding speech than in a quiet environment, of course, but I’m pretty sure I have better understanding than somebody with normal hearing would in the same environment.

There are really only three downsides to my own hearing aids. First, the EQ doesn’t extend into bass frequencies, and so streamed music sounds tinny. (Streamed speech is ridiculously easy to understand, and music through over-the-ear headphones while wearing the hearing aids is amazing.) Second, audio only goes from the iPhone to the hearing aids, and so phone calls, Siri, etc., still rely upon the iPhone’s own microphone. And, last, they don’t have the full EarPod / Siri intelligence built in.

So … give me exactly this form factor and feature set but running on top of EarPod OS with all its features, and I’ll be happy.

As a final note: don’t be shy about hearing aids; instead, think of them as doing for your ears what eyeglass (or contact lenses) do for your vision. If you wear glasses, you can probably still function without them — but it’s really annoying, a constant effort to make everything out. You _could_ function without them, but why would you want to? Hearing aids, even for those with fairly mild impairment, are no different. It’s like you’ve been living with some big, fluffy ear muffs, and now you finally take them off and can hear things the way they’re supposed to sound again.

Cheers,

b&

 

[SSDGUY]

I am tired of all of the sensors in Apple devices. I am not an android. I know when my posture sucks. I know when my temperature is high.

Someone reminded me recently that getting medical tests when you're not sick is the definition of a hypochondriac. Needing to measure your body temperature when you're not sick makes one a hypochondriac.

Apple's new theme, "You don't have to decide to be a hypochondriac, Apple can make you one immediately with the new Apple ear buds. Get them now!"

I'm also not a fan of Apple's guide-every-aspect-of-your-life tendencies. But, getting medical tests only when you know you're sick is not the definition of a hypochondriac. Waiting until you know something is wrong often means it's too late for anything serious.

 

[mannyvel]

If you don't want to use the sensors you don't have to. It's not hard to not look at your health app.

 

[mrr]

Excellent ideas for future products.

 

[svish]

Health features on Airpods! Wow.

 

[xdhd350]

I’ve stated for some time now that the AirPods would make a great in ear thermometer for taking body temp readings. Being able to detect a low grade fever and getting it checked out could head off getting really sick and having a high fever.

 

[2mnycars]

My dad is basically using them as hearing aids right now. He used to get hand-me-down hearing aids from his friends (no kidding, medicare replaced them every year), but the AirPods Pros are much better. Plus I set up his hearing profile, so they're probably more functional.

The biggest secondary benefit is not having to change out those tiny batteries. I mean seriously, it's hard for seniors to deal with those tiny batteries. Now he just puts them on the wireless charger and bam, they're charged.

He uses one until its battery dies, then puts the other one in (the other ear). That lasts all day.

Batteries are tiny.
So are the wax guards.
And the wax guards with the Phonak Paradise P90R's are awful. (R's are rechargeable.)

Why can't Apple build real hearing aids?
DaveL

 

[2mnycars]

As somebody who’s only recently started wearing hearing aids, I have mixed feelings about what’s being described in the rumor.

First, it’s not just the all-day battery necessary for effective hearing aids; it’s the form factor, too. There’s this small part that fits behind your ears with a wire that comes down that goes into your ear canal. Everybody’s ears are different, so hearing aid manufacturers make a small library of mix-and-match parts to adjust the length of the wire, the size and shape of the silicone cone that holds the wire in your ear canal, and so on; but, with a good audiologist, you wind up with something that fits like a glove and feels comfortable all day long — with zero chance of accidentally popping out. And, though I personally don’t care if other people can see that I’m wearing hearing aids, they really are nearly invisible. You basically have to be seriously into my personal space to see them.

In other words, take every usage problem or complaint you’ve ever had or heard about with earbuds, and it’s a complete non-issue with actual hearing aids. Any replacement for my hearing aids is going to have to have a form factor that’s at least this good, and no earbud ever comes remotely close.

The next part is that they’re not just indiscriminate amplifiers. After you take a standard hearing test (“press the button when you hear the tone”), a compensating EQ adjustment gets applied to the hearing aid’s output; within limits, you have “flat” hearing.

And then there’s some serious real-time signal processing going on, including various kinds of intelligent noise reduction, volume adjustment, and so on. For example, mine almost never pick up wind noise. And if I’m in the kitchen with the fans going and all sorts of other chaos … I have a bit more trouble understanding speech than in a quiet environment, of course, but I’m pretty sure I have better understanding than somebody with normal hearing would in the same environment.

There are really only three downsides to my own hearing aids. First, the EQ doesn’t extend into bass frequencies, and so streamed music sounds tinny. (Streamed speech is ridiculously easy to understand, and music through over-the-ear headphones while wearing the hearing aids is amazing.) Second, audio only goes from the iPhone to the hearing aids, and so phone calls, Siri, etc., still rely upon the iPhone’s own microphone. And, last, they don’t have the full EarPod / Siri intelligence built in.

So … give me exactly this form factor and feature set but running on top of EarPod OS with all its features, and I’ll be happy.

As a final note: don’t be shy about hearing aids; instead, think of them as doing for your ears what eyeglass (or contact lenses) do for your vision. If you wear glasses, you can probably still function without them — but it’s really annoying, a constant effort to make everything out. You _could_ function without them, but why would you want to? Hearing aids, even for those with fairly mild impairment, are no different. It’s like you’ve been living with some big, fluffy ear muffs, and now you finally take them off and can hear things the way they’re supposed to sound again.

Cheers,

b&

Good to see your post.
I use hearing aids too.

They must have been designed by a very young person with great dexterity and good eyesight.

Don't forget to change out your wax guards. hey have so many tiny holes. When those get plugged with wax your hearing aids don't work.
And make sure your domes are on---when they catch and stay inside your ear you'll need skilled help to get them out.

Apple it's time to make hearing aids. Throw the old designs away! Start fresh.

DaveL