Apple May Be Working On New Hearing Health Features For AirPods
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Apple May Be Working On New Hearing Health Features For AirPods
Apple is increasingly turning its attention to more health-centric hardware integrations after tasting unprecedented success with the Apple Watch and the fitness ecosystem built around it. The next target for a wellness-focused overhaul is the AirPods, which might soon get the ability to measure body temperature and detect hearing issues using a customized test.
That's according to the latest edition of Mark Gurman's PowerOn newsletter, which claims that Apple engineers are testing a sensor that can assess body temperature from within the ear canal. That wouldn't be unusual, as thermometers designed to measure body temperature using an infrared sensor and the ear canal are common and reliable. However, it's unclear whether the temperature sensor in the AirPods will provide on-demand temperature readings or if it will only be used for sensing abnormalities like fever.
Apple has already added temperature monitoring to the Apple Watch, but instead of offering on-demand temperature readings, it passively monitors the user's body temperature while they sleep. There's a dedicated app called Cycle Tracking that provides insights about ovulation and fertility windows based on that data. It's unclear whether Apple will build other similar health products that take advantage of temperature sensors in the AirPods — assuming the rumor proves to be accurate, of course.
Future AirPods may include hearing aid functionality
Another notable upgrade reportedly destined for the AirPods is a built-in hearing test that will help determine a person's hearing capability and assess if they have any difficulties. Apple already offers a few accessibility features to help folks with hearing challenges, such as boosting the audio output from the onboard speakers, and AirPods can already be used in conjunction with an app called Mimi to assess one's hearing capacity. This feature — if it does indeed arrive with future AirPods — would eliminate the need to use Mimi.
Gurman also goes on to claim that Apple is looking into ways its AirPods (some future models, at least) could effectively function as over-the-counter hearing aids, which have proven increasingly popular — in fact, the first pair of OTC hearing aids featuring the Sennheiser brand were recently announced. However, consumers may find a dual-purpose device like AirPods with hearing aid functionality more appealing than dedicated hearing aids, as they would not only pack more capabilities but also shed the stigma that some may experience with the latter product. Apple reportedly has tapped some experts from the hearing aids industry to explore this possibility, but there's no word yet on when such functionality may arrive, if ever.
iOS 17 Updates Your iPhone With Live Voicemail, Improvements To Messages And FaceTime
Apple has announced that iOS 17 will bring some big improvements to the iPhone user experience. FaceTime and Messages will both receive a host of new features, and an answerphone-like live voicemail function will also make an appearance.
If you've ever been left frustrated when your FaceTime calls are going unanswered, you'll soon be able to express that frustration in video form. Apple's video-calling service will include an option to leave a message once the new iOS launches. If you don't want to answer calls from certain entities, "Live Voicemail" will likely be a game-changer. It works in a similar way to an old school answering machine, allowing you to view a live transcript and jump in on the call if it's important or from someone you want to talk to; or leave it be, otherwise.
Airdrop is also receiving some quality-of-life improvements, including one that allows users to leave Airdrop range when sending large files. Once the transfer has started, it will continue over the internet if one user leaves the immediate area.
"NameDrop" is also a further expansion of the concept, allowing users to quickly share contact details via a pair of iPhones, or through other devices like the Apple Watch. The contact cards themselves use a new "Personalized Poster" that users can create and attach to their account.
Messaging is getting a huge boost
Messaging will be easier to navigate, and give users more options while responding. Multiple search terms can now be added to narrow down results when looking through past messages. Letting friends and relatives know you're safe will be easier thanks to the "Check In" feature, which automatically sends a message when your phone detects you're home.
Stickers have also had a huge update, with the ability to resize them, create new stickers from images and live photos, and even use them to respond to individual messages. Other features include the ability to have audio messages transcribed, so you can read them instead of listening.
Anyone who regularly writes with auto-correct enabled will know it's sort-of okay at the best of times, and a ducking inconvenience when at its worst. Apple is hoping to fix this with an AI-powered system running off a "transformer language model." The model allows sentence-level correction that may pick up more errors, more accurately.
In-line suggestions will also be better, allowing you to write and reply even faster. Other improvements include changes to Siri, a journaling app, a smarter photos app, and a "Standby" feature that displays a new screen while your phone is docked via MagSafe and charging.
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