The next-generation AirPods Pro could come with a long list of new features that include heart rate detection, the ability to function as a hearing aid, and a USB-C port according to a report from 52Audio.
The site claims that it has received new information on the AirPods Pro 2, and it has used that information to provide some renders on what the earbuds might look like. Design wise, there is still a stem, in contrast to some rumors about a stemless look, and overall, the AirPods Pro 2 look a lot like the AirPods Pro and the AirPods 3.
While the AirPods Pro 2 look similar to the AirPods Pro, 52Audio is claiming that there will be a long list of new features. Some of these rumors we've heard before, but today's report gives quite a bit more detail.
- Updated H1 chip - The updated H1 chip is expected to feature an upgraded SiP packaging system and self-adaptive noise cancellation capabilities. It will include better performance and improved power consumption as well.
- Find My - The AirPods Pro 2 are expected to support Find My functionality, allowing them to be located with the Find My app. Prior rumors have indicated that there will be a speaker on the case, allowing them to play a sound when misplaced.
- Heart Rate detection - We've heard prior rumors of health sensors coming to the AirPods Pro, and 52Audio claims they will be able to detect heart rate from within the ear.
- Temperature detection - The heart rate sensor may also support temperature detection, but 52Audio says this could not be confirmed.
- Sound improvements - The AirPods Pro 2 will apparently share acoustics with the AirPods 3, featuring a "combination of customized high-amplitude drive units and high-dynamic-range amplifiers." Self-adaptive equalization, spatial audio with dynamic head tracking, and audio sharing will be included.
- USB-C - Instead of Lightning, the AirPods Pro 2 could adopt a USB-C port.
- Hearing Aid capabilities - 52Audio claims that the AirPods Pro 2 will serve as a hearing aid. Sound can apparently "be collected through the charging case and transmitted to the earphone for sound enhancement and playback," with the aim of helping people with hearing loss better hear sound in the environment. The site believes that what was previously described as a lanyard holder on the side of the AirPods Pro 2 is actually some kind of hearing aid function, which sounds questionable.
We have heard rumors about most of these features in the past, but the hearing aid functionality is new. We have also heard mixed rumors about the design of the AirPods Pro 2, but information is solidifying around an AirPods 3 and AirPods Pro look that continues to feature a stem.
52Audio has in the past provided accurate information about Apple's upcoming audio products, but the site has also shared some questionable rumors, so it has something of a mixed track record. Some of these features sound plausible because we've previously heard hints of them, but others, such as the hearing aid functionality, are more outlandish. For that reason, this information should be viewed with some skepticism.
