The next generation of Apple AirPods may come with a host of health and fitness features, including temperature sensing and hearing tests. The news comes via Bloomberg's resident Apple expert Mark Gurman, who often gleans insider info about upcoming products and services from his industry contacts.
Many running headphones (such as the Amazfit Powerbuds Pro) already include some fitness tracking features, with heart rate monitoring being the most common. Optical heart rate monitors work by shining a light on your skin and then analyzing the properties of the light that's reflected back. The ear is a particularly good place to measure your heart rate (potentially better than a GPS watch) because once an earbud is in place, there's almost no light from external sources. Unlike the wrist, the ear won't be affected by gripping motions, and doesn't move like your arm does when you run.
