If you currently use Apple brand earphones with your iPhone or iPod, they could soon be doing much more than just letting you listen to your favourite songs, it has been revealed.
Leaked information concerning the next generation of the iPhone maker’s ‘earpods’ (earphones to you and I) shows that the new products will contain a heart rate monitor, and may even include the means to measure your blood pressure as well.
An anonymous post on the Secret app, allegedly from a former Apple employee who was part of a group laid off last week, claims that the new earphones will use the Lightning port, currently used to charge the latest generations of iPhone and iPad devices, to connect to their parent device.
This is why the audio jack, used for the current generation of headphones, was moved to the bottom of the iPhone 5, which caused a major uproar amongst Apple fanboys upon its release in September 2012.
When synced to a user’s device, all the data will be stored in a similar way to the thumbprint point data currently used to unlock certain iPhone models, meaning it should be fully encrypted and nothing identifiable. The information can then be stored and tracked to monitor for any disruptions or start of illnesses.
The new earphones will also use Apple’s iBeacon technology to ensure that the user doesn’t lose them, and will include a redesigned remote, as well as an extra microphone for better noise cancelling.
If true, the rumours would be the latest in a series that seem to suggest Apple is moving more towards health-conscious products. The next version of its iOS operating system, iOS 8 is heavily expected to feature the ‘Healthbook’ application, which will allow users to track their fitness activities.
The company’s heavily-anticipated iWatch, set for a possible release later this year, should also feature several kinds of health sensor in semblance to other similar devices currently available on the market.
The move would set Apple apart from its greatest competitor, Samsung’s Galaxy S5, launched last month, which included a heartrate sensor incorporated into the device’s home button.
