New AirPods Pro 2 patent application outlines activity-tracking abilities.
Fitness-tracking features in the AirPods Pro 2 have been speculated for some time, and it’s now clear how they would function.
This is possible because of a recent Apple patent application that describes how a future iteration of AirPods might monitor the physical activity of its user. When worn, the earphones might be equipped with sensors that “collect orientation information such as accelerometer readings during user motions,” according to 14-page patent application “Wireless Ear Bud System With Pose Detection”
Using “a host electronic device” that can wirelessly connect with the AirPods and form “part of an ear bud system,” the paperwork Apple submitted in October was only revealed this week. Additionally, the user may get appropriate feedback and audible coaching instructions, in addition to an overall assessment of their abilities, as a result.
It is possible, in non-patent words, that the AirPods’ sensors might detect your bodily motions and transmit the data to either your Apple Watch or your iPhone in order to offer you feedback.
The earphones can measure a variety of motions, but the patent application doesn’t specify whether or not such tracking is limited to just certain types of physical exercise. This means that, in principle, the AirPods may record and study accelerometer data analysing user tilts in predetermined postures (forward, back, as well as to the left and right).
According to the app, further fitness-related features, such as performance reports and notifications, are in the works.
Even before this announcement, we’ve heard of AirPods with activity monitoring features. Sensor fusion, the process of merging sensor data from several devices, like the iPhone 12 and Apple Watch, to deliver more accurate fitness monitoring and health statistics, was mentioned last year by Apple’s vice president of technology, Kevin Lynch. Coincidentally, this is how the fitness-tracking AirPods were described in the patent.
In addition, a Bloomberg storey from last year suggested that the AirPods Pro 2 will have exercise-tracking capabilities, so there’s reason to believe that this patent application might become a reality at some point.
Patent applications aren’t always acted upon, and even if granted, Apple may choose to concentrate its resources elsewhere.
But if it does come to actuality, this may be a revolutionary enhancement, particularly because tracking functions are not currently available on any other Apple products. On an Apple Watch right now, the wristwatch can only recognise the nature of your workout routine minutes after you begin. This patent application, on the other hand, provides real-time feedback and tracks your performance.
It’s not a given that the AirPods Pro 2 will include this feature, but we may hope that it will be available when the new headphones are released later this year.