On the surface Apple’s AirPod headphones seem like just a pair of really clever wireless headphones, and a way for iPhone users to deal with the lack of headphone jack. However could Apple have plans to eventually turn the AirPod into more than just a pair of headphones? According to a recently discovered patent, yes they could.
In a report from Patently Apple, they have discovered a patent related to the AirPod which has revealed Apple’s plans to add biometric tracking capabilities to it. We should note that headphones with biometric tracking capabilities aren’t new, and last year Jabra unveiled the Elite Sport Wireless Earbuds that offered up heart rate monitoring as well as VO2 Max testing.
This meant that users would no longer have to rely on separate devices like a heart rate chest strap and other gadgets since these headphones would offer up those capabilities. Of course given that this is only a patent, it is hard to say if Apple ever plans on making it a reality. However analyst Gene Munster had previously offered his opinion that the AirPods could eventually become bigger than the Apple Watch.
This is thanks to Apple’s apparent renewed focus on Siri, and how the wireless nature of the AirPods would make it the perfect tool to interact with Siri in the future, but we guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
Filed in . Read more about AirPods, Headphones, Health, Patent and Wearable Tech.