In a research note focused on how the Apple Watch Series 7 will still be released in September despite a minor two-week delay in mass production, reputable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also briefly commented on the Apple Watch Series 8 and AirPods.
Kuo said he is optimistic about demand for the Apple Watch in 2022 given that next year's Apple Watch Series 8 will offer new health management features, and he predicted this will include body temperature measurement. This feature would conveniently turn the Apple Watch into a thermometer on your wrist, which could be especially useful for detecting a fever, a common symptom of many illnesses.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and Debby Wu previously reported that the Apple Watch would likely gain a body temperature sensor in 2022, and The Wall Street Journal's Rolfe Winkler said the function would help with fertility planning.
Apple has gradually expanded the health features available on the Apple Watch over the years to include heart rate tracking, irregular heart rhythm notifications, the ECG app, blood oxygen measuring, fall detection, and more. In an interview with Outside Magazine last year, Apple CEO Tim Cook said the Apple Watch is still in "the early innings" in regards to the amount of sensors that could be built into the device.
"Think about the amount of sensors in your car," said Cook. "And arguably, your body is much more important than your car."
Kuo also predicted that future AirPods will provide health management functions, but he did not provide any specific details. In May 2020, DigiTimes reported that future AirPods would adopt new system-in-package technology with embedded AI, allowing the AirPods to "monitor heart rates, step counts, and health conditions."
Chinese supplier Luxshare Precision will be the "largest beneficiary" of Apple's health management hardware products, according to Kuo.
