Powerbeats Pro 2 Leak Hints at Useful Health Feature Coming to AirPods - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Powerbeats Pro 2 Leak Hints at Useful Health Feature Coming to AirPods

Apple plans to add more health-related features to future AirPods models, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, and the upcoming Powerbeats Pro 2 might offer a hint.

AirPods 4 Ambient Light Heart Health Sensor Feature
We previously reported that the Powerbeats Pro 2 will offer heart rate monitoring during workouts, and perhaps that feature will extend to AirPods in the future. Based on our iOS 18 code findings, you will be able to connect the Powerbeats Pro 2 to gym equipment like a treadmill to measure heart rate, and the data will be visible in the Health app and other supported apps on the iPhone. Apple previously announced that the Powerbeats Pro 2 will be released in 2025, and AirPods Pro 3 are also rumored to launch next year.

Heart rate monitoring has in fact been rumored for the AirPods Pro multiple times, but the feature has yet to come to fruition. With the feature now seemingly ready for Powerbeats Pro 2, though, it could finally come to AirPods too.

AirPods are also rumored to gain body temperature sensing in the future, after the Apple Watch Series 8 and newer gained a wrist temperature feature.

Related Roundups: AirPods 4, AirPods Pro 3
Related Forum: AirPods

Popular Stories

european union eu

EU iPhone Users Get AirPods-Like Pairing and Notification Forwarding for Third-Party Wearables in iOS 26.5

Monday May 11, 2026 1:50 pm PDT by
iOS 26.5 introduces several interoperability changes for third-party wearables, which means European iPhone users have access to new capabilities when using non-Apple accessories. To comply with the EU's Digital Markets Act, Apple is letting third-party wearables access some features that have historically been limited to the Apple Watch and AirPods. Proximity pairing - Third-party...
AirPods Hearing Aid Thumb 1

Apple Watch Hypertension Alerts and AirPods Hearing Aid Feature Expand to More Countries

Tuesday May 12, 2026 10:53 am PDT by
Apple today said Hearing Aid features are now available for the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3 in Italy, Romania, and Czechia, while Hypertension alerts have expanded to Israel. The Hearing Aid option allows the AirPods Pro to be used as an over-the-counter alternative to a traditional set of hearing aids. The AirPods Pro can improve sound to mitigate mild to moderate hearing loss,...
airpods pro 3 pink

Your Next AirPods Will Have Eyes

Friday May 15, 2026 8:39 am PDT by
Apple's fourth-generation AirPods Pro could well watch the world for you, with the upcoming earbuds widely tipped to have built-in cameras. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that the camera-equipped AirPods Pro have already reached "advanced" testing, suggesting that the design is virtually locked in and mass production is imminent. Each earbud is expected to feature a tiny built-in infrared...

Top Rated Comments

Kylo83 Avatar
20 months ago
I dont get why earphones are focused on health features, why not audio features. I want lossless support, better sound quality, no one buys headphones for health features
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
20 months ago

I dont get why earphones are focused on health features, why not audio features. I want lossless support, better sound quality, no one buys headphones for health features
I have an Apple Watch for that.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Tdude96 Avatar
20 months ago
I'm really hoping they add a temperature sensor to AirPods Pro 3. It seems like it'd be a far better datapoint than the wrist skin temperature from Apple Watch.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MasterControlProgram Avatar
20 months ago
Can we just have more colour choices instead please Apple?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mikebenton Avatar
20 months ago
I suspect that adding two new sensors is going to make a dent in battery life. Good to have the option, but hope the feature(s) can be disabled.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
20 months ago

I have a pair of AirPod Pro 1st gen as well as a pair of Sony wired $30 ear buds. The Sony buds have much better sound quality for music so there is a lot apple can still do in that regard.
Well they did, with the second gen. I had both and the second gen sound better. And if the third gen has better connectivity and the right high quality input, could sound better still. But at some point we reach the limits of what a speaker this small can physically do.

You mention that the Sony ones are wired. I'm a firm believer that wired is always better than wireless in terms of quality, everything except having to deal with the cable really.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)