Apple has a bunch of new hardware in early development right now, and it appears we're getting a lot more than just a shift to USB-C. Apple is planning on transitioning its best iPhones to USB-C come September when the iPhone 15 series debuts. It appears Apple is also planning the shift for its AirPods Pro, with a bunch of new features added.
In his latest Power On newsletter, Mark Gurman revealed that a third-generation Apple AirPods Pro is under development and will get USB-C, as well as advanced features like hearing health and body temperature. However, we're unlikely to see these launch soon, meaning stick with the Apple AirPods Pro 2 for now.
The next AirPods Pro will let you check your hearing health and body temperature
Gurman says the next generation of AirPods Pro is likely to come with USB-C, and is currently under early development. He also discussed some new health features that are expected to arrive with them.
"As part of the iPhone 15’s shift from Lightning to a USB-C port, Apple is planning to make the same switch on the AirPods Pro’s charging case. It also has plans to move to USB-C on future generations of its other audio products."
Of course, since the interface on AirPods is on the case itself, Apple will be upgrading the case to USB-C. It appears this case could arrive soon, alongside the iPhone 15, but the more advanced features will likely arrive with the generational upgrade that is currently on a three-year cycle.
Gurman says that Apple is bringing hearing-aid-like features, thanks to the US FDA having erased hearing aid purchase rules. The company has hired engineers from companies that make traditional hearing aids to work on these features. Temperature check features are also coming.
Gurman wrote, "There’s also engineering work being done on adding sensors to the AirPods so they can determine body temperature via a wearer’s ear canal. That type of data is considered more accurate than wrist temperature, which is collected on the Apple Watch Series 8 and Ultra models while users sleep. Apple relies on that information for fertility tracking but wants to expand its use to determine if a person has, say, a cold or other illness."
Gurman says he is not expecting all-new AirPods Pro hardware to launch soon, so these new features may not appear until the next big refresh, which would likely be in 2025. Apple is likely to release the USB-C case a minor update to the current second-gen AirPods.
