Apple's new AirPods have a new function: replacing smart watches

According to foreign media MacRumors, Apple is expected to integrate ambient light sensors into new AirPods in the next few years. These ambient light sensors will be manufactured by ASE Technology, a Taiwanese company.

MacRumors pointed out in the report that the original report did not explain what the ambient light sensors were used for, and some people speculated that Apple might just use them to replace the existing optical sensors in AirPods. But MacRumors does not think so. They think that the ambient light sensors on the new AirPods are likely related to the health monitoring function that was previously revealed.

According to investigations, rumors about Apple AirPods being equipped with health monitoring features can be traced back to the beginning of last year, when several media outlets claimed that Apple would release a new AirPods with health monitoring features in the first half of the year. Although Apple did release AirPods 2 in March 2019, it did not include health monitoring features, which disappointed Apple fans who were looking forward to it at the time.

Health has always been a focus of Apple, and the first Apple Watch they produced was equipped with a heart rate monitor. Apple hopes to provide more accurate health data, and through the combination of health monitoring data and medical supervision APP, people can pay more attention to their health besides checking the time, sending messages, and making calls.

Before this, if an Apple user wanted to use the health monitoring function, his only choice was to buy an Apple Watch. As Tim Cook said, "Health monitoring is the core of Apple Watch." But for ordinary people, the Apple Watch series, which starts at 3,000 yuan, is not something they can just buy. Compared to buying an expensive Apple Watch separately, Apple fans naturally hope that Apple can add this function to the essential AirPods.

How to implement the health monitoring function on headphones is actually a big problem. The health monitoring function of Apple's wearable products generally uses optical plethysmography. Blood absorbs green light and reflects red light. The ambient light sensor measures blood oxygen/pulse volume by sensing red light. If this technology is used on headphones, infrared light is generally emitted from the earlobe and then received by the light sensor on the other side.

According to MacRumors, traditional AirPods are in-ear headphones and do not seem to be suitable for such a function. From the current situation, the rumored Apple head-mounted true wireless headphones AirPods Studio seem to be more suitable for this technology, and this product is expected to go into mass production in the middle of this year.