A rumour on Secret.ly indicates that Apple’s new headphones will be able to monitor your vital signs and will connect to your iPhone to keep track of workouts.
Apple’s new Earpod headphones, a rumour suggests, will be able to keep an eye on both your heart rate and blood pressure from sensors built into the earbud itself. They will connect to your iPhone via its Lightning port, rather than the headphone jack, and will turn the iPhone into a fitness powerhouse.
According to the rumour, the headphones will be reliant on the next version of Apple’s iOS, which is likely to be announced at WWDC in June, although it sounds like there’s no reason they won’t work on all of the iPhones and iPods that feature a Lightning port. The rumour also suggests that the Earpods will feature Apple’s iBeacon, which is a Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) system that keeps track of things in close proximity to your phone.
The idea of all this might sound far-fetched, but actually similar concepts have been demonstrated by the likes of Intel before. The idea is likely to be that Apple wants to fill in the missing health service which is present through third-party devices like wearable tech, but hasn’t been included in Apple’s core OS yet.
It’s also another potential development in the ongoing Nike saga, where it was rumoured the iWatch would be the replacement for Nike’s smartwatch. Perhaps this ties into that rumour too, giving Apple access to Nike’s customer base, while keeping all of the tech in-house.
Of course the biggest downside is that these headphones will likely cost a bit more to buy, and you’ll need to use them instead of your favourite sports headphones. Still, Apple’s new earbuds are firm favourites with most people who use them, so it will probably not be a huge problem.
Update: Since we wrote this story, it has emerged that the original post on Secret.ly which this rumour was based upon is a hoax. A shame we think, as the idea is cool, but perhaps a lot more impossible than we initially thought.
Read more: iPhone 6 release date, news, rumours, specs and price
Via: Stuff
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
