Skip to main content

2022 AirPods Pro might include fitness tracking features

Apple’s high-end AirPods Pro true wireless earbuds could be getting a refresh in 2022 that gives them the ability to track your workouts, according to a new Bloomberg report.

The report also repeats previous claims that Apple is readying a new, entry-level set of AirPods for later in 2021 that will borrow their design from the current AirPods Pro.

Recommended Videos

Citing “people with knowledge of the matter,” Bloomberg claims that the next AirPods Pro will include updated motion sensors with a focus on fitness tracking.

Adding fitness tracking to the AirPods Pro would be a logical move for Apple. The company has a long history of fitness-focused features going all the way back to 2006 when it introduced the Nike+partnership. Nike+ saw small sensors incorporated into Nike’s running shoes which could send activity data back to an iPod nano or iPhone.

Since then, Apple has expanded its fitness offering considerably through the Apple Watch, which has a host of sensors for tracking steps, heart rate, and even blood oxygen levels. These fitness features eventually gave rise to the Apple Fitness+ subscription service that lets people follow expert-led workout routines on any iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV, with tracking provided by the Apple Watch.

But the Apple Watch remains a fairly expensive device and not everyone who would like to take advantage of Apple Fitness+ wants to own Apple’s smartwatch.

Embedding extra sensors in the AirPods Pro could eliminate the need for an Apple Watch, or make an existing Apple Watch more accurate by combining two sources of data.

Embedding fitness sensors inside earbuds is hardly new. Jabra’s Elite Sport true wireless earbuds, which debuted in 2017, have built-in heart rate monitors, and Samsung and Bose have both release earbuds in the past that have similar technology. Most recently, Amazon added basic activity tracking to its second-gen Amazon Echo Buds.

But it’s not the sensors that matter as much as what people can do with the data that these sensors capture. That’s where Apple has a distinct advantage. Whether you use the Fitness app built into iOS, or go with the subscription-based Apple Fitness+ service, Apple has developed a full suite of software and services that can give fitness fans an immersive view of their overall health and progress toward their personal goals.

Simon Cohen
Contributing Editor, A/V
Simon Cohen is a contributing editor to Digital Trends' Audio/Video section, where he obsesses over the latest wireless…
Apple AirPods Max finally get lossless audio and analog support
Apple AirPods Max with USB-C in Orange.

Apple is about to correct one of the most glaring omissions on its AirPods Max wireless noise-canceling headphones: Starting in April, the headphones will get a firmware update that enables lossless audio via the included USB-C cable at up to 24-bit/48kHz. As a wired connection, this also gives the headphones an ultra low-latency audio pathway, which is helpful for gaming.

And starting today, Apple is selling a $39 3.5mm-to-USB-C accessory cable that lets the newest version of the AirPods Max connect to analog audio sources like airplane jacks -- something these headphones haven't been able to do since they launched. The new cable is also compatible with the USB-C jack on the Beats Studio Pro.

Read more
Apple might arm AirPods with live translation facility this year
Simon Cohen wearing Apple AirPods 4.

Apple has lately focused on giving the AirPods more of a wellness-focused makeover than hawking them as plain wireless earbuds. Late last year, the AirPods Pro 2 landed a Loud Sound Reduction feature, alongside a hearing test system and hearing aid facility.
Now, the company is reportedly eyeing a conversational upgrade for them. According to Bloomberg, Apple plans to bring a real-time translation facility to the AirPods later this year. The focus is on removing the language barrier for in-person conversations.
The feature is said to be in active development and might be rolled out via a software update later this year, tied to the iOS 19 bundle. It’s going to be a two-way translation system where the AirPods and iPhone play an equal role.

How it works?

Read more
In a bizarre twist, AirPods Pro are cheaper in Canada … for now
Apple AirPods Pro 2 inside their charging case.

Unless you've been hiding under a rock, it's been impossible to escape the headlines around the new tariffs imposed on Canadian, Mexican, and Chinese imports to the U.S. (or the many retaliatory tariffs that these countries have imposed on U.S. products). The expectation is that these tariffs will make certain goods more expensive, regardless where you live. But in a bizarre twist of timing, tariffs, and currency exchange rates, one particularly popular Apple product is cheaper in Canada than in the U.S.: the AirPods Pro 2.

Apple sells the AirPods Pro 2 in the U.S. for $249 and $329 ($CAD) in Canada. A quick look at current currency conversion rates shows that despite the higher number in Canada, that's actually the cheaper of the two prices. According to RBC Bank's currency calculator, if you hold U.S. dollars right now, you can buy $329 CAD for just $236 USD -- a $13-dollar savings.

Read more