- Core temperature checks more accurate than Apple Watch can gather
- Tympanic thermometers widespread in healthcare settings
- Next-generation could also see improved battery life
Mark Gurman has suggested that thermometers could feature in future AirPods Pro in the latest Bloomberg Power On newsletter.
As Gurman points out, the latest Apple Watch Series 8 monitors a wearer’s body temperature changes overnight, using the data for fertility tracking thanks to a new built-in sensor. Still, Apple could get better data via AirPods through the ear.
Tympanic thermometers are widely used in medical settings. The eardrum, recessed inside the head, gives a highly accurate temperature measurement, while the Apple Watch measures at an extremity on the wrist. This makes the Apple Watch reading much more susceptible to outside environmental factors.
Right now, the Apple Watch has a thermometer to help with fertility tracking (it kicks in overnight), but I’d think that the company could get better data from the ear, via AirPods.
MARK GURMAN
The eardrum is fragile, so the measurements are taken by measuring the infrared radiation given off by the eardrum from around 10mm away. A thermopile sensor detects this, which is accurate to approximately one-tenth of a degree. This data would then be sent to the Health App on your device, which is set to expand to the iPad this year.
Looking down the line for the AirPods Pro, Gurman speculates that better battery life is top of the list of things to look for given the latest models already have improved core features such as audio quality and Active Noise Cancellation.
AirPods Pro were first released on October 30, 2019, with the second generation arriving almost three years later on September 23, 2022, around seven months ago.
