Are Future AirPods getting ambient light sensors to replace Apple Watch?

https://www.imore.com/sites/all/themes/mbn2_twig/assets/images/4x3.png
https://www.imore.com/sites/imore.com/files/styles/large_wm_blw/public/field/image/2017/02/airpods-listen-watch-hero.jpg?itok=HzlPf7QU

Source: iMore

What you need to know

Apple is set to add ambient light sensors (ALS) to a future pair of AirPods, according to a tease of a future DigiTimes report. But that teaser doesn't say why.

While the full report might have more information, all we currently have to work with is a claim that ALS will be added to AirPods within the next two years.

Apple is expected to incorporate ambient light sensors (ALS) in next-generation AirPods devices in the coming 1-2 years, and Taiwan's ASE Technology may handle the backend process for the new component, as it has moved to purchase more packaging machines

So why would Apple add such sensors to earbuds? AirPods already know when they are inside your ears thanks to the optical sensors that are present. It's unlikely that those sensors would be replaced which leaves us with the possibility that a new feature could be on the – admittedly far away – horizon. And that could be related to health.

Get an iPhone SE with Mint Mobile service for $30/mo

Apple already makes a considerable health play with Apple Watch. But a patent from October last year suggested that it was looking to bring similar functionality to AirPods. That could include tracking a wearer's heart rate, temperature, and more.

https://www.imore.com/sites/all/themes/mbn2_twig/assets/images/1x1.png
https://www.imore.com/sites/imore.com/files/styles/large/public/field/image/2019/10/airpod-biometric-screenshot.jpg?itok=ah2TSDlY

Source: iMore

Portable electronic device users have shown increasing interest in biometric tracking. Biometric sensors often need to be in close or even direct contact with the skin to properly measure and track biometric parameters along the lines of heart rate, VO.sub.2, and core temperature. Requiring a user to place a sensor in direct contact with the skin to track these types of biometric data can be overly burdensome, making adoption of the biometric tracking more difficult. Consequently, mechanisms for unobtrusively measuring biometric parameters are highly desirable.

The use of ALS could allow this patent to come to fruition – fingers crossed that the full DigiTimes report will shed some more light on Apple's plans.

We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.

https://www.imore.com/sites/all/themes/mbn2_twig/assets/images/1x1.png
https://www.imore.com/sites/imore.com/files/styles/w200h150crop/public/field/image/2020/05/ipad-pro-app-store-updates.jpg?itok=pme7_CuI

Download it all Apple pushes tons of app updates to the App Store, hoping to make them work Friday saw a lot of people reporting that they couldn't make iPhone and iPad apps launch anymore. There was a workaround, but Apple seems to be hoping to fix it by re-releasing a ton of app updates.

https://www.imore.com/sites/all/themes/mbn2_twig/assets/images/1x1.png
https://www.imore.com/sites/imore.com/files/styles/w200h150crop/public/field/image/2020/05/ghostwriter_unit_photo_10201.jpg?itok=HNADbMhz

awards Apple TV+ shows pick up 17 Daytime Emmy nominations Four of Apple TV+'s kid-friendly shows have been nominated for a total of 17 Daytime Emmy awards.

https://www.imore.com/sites/all/themes/mbn2_twig/assets/images/1x1.png
https://www.imore.com/sites/imore.com/files/styles/w200h150crop/public/field/image/2020/05/scott-forstall.jpeg?itok=DMCybNgS

cool Microsoft sent Scott Forstall a dead fish after he rejected a job offer Scott Forstall has revealed a bizarre story about how he interviewed with Steve Jobs at NeXT, and how Microsoft sent him a fish after he turned down a job offer from the company.

https://www.imore.com/sites/all/themes/mbn2_twig/assets/images/1x1.png
https://www.imore.com/sites/imore.com/files/styles/w200h150crop/public/field/image/2019/09/ipad-10-2-2019-smart-keyboard-hero.jpg?itok=dwti9_3e

⌨️ 🙌🏼 🍎 With a quality keyboard case, your iPad Pro is practically a laptop You can make your 10.5-inch iPad Pro work like a MacBook for you with the right keyboard case.