While rumors of both the AirPods 3 and AirPods Pro 2 have been quiet of late, Apple itself has hinted that a new fitness tracking feature could be coming to its family of wireless earphones

In an interview with TechCrunch, Kevin Lynch, Apple's vice president of technology, said that the AirPods will use sensor fusion (combining sensor data from multiple devices like the iPhone 12 and Apple Watch to provide more accurate process) to provide more accurate fitness tracking and health data, he said

When asked if AirPods could be part of this system, Lynch responded: "We're already doing sensor fusion on several devices today, and I think there's all kinds of potential here"

While an onboard health monitor could be part of the AirPods 3, it is even more likely that sensor fusion will be an integral part of the AirPods Pro 2 Unlike the standard current Apple AirPods, the AirPods Pro earbuds already include a motion-sensing accelerometer and gyroscope, similar to the AirPods Max Bloomberg also notes that the AirPods Pro 2 will have improved sensors, and that the AirPods Pro 3 will have an onboard health monitor, as well as a health monitor, Bloomberg also reports that the AirPods Pro 2 will have improved sensors and a renewed focus on fitness tracking

Sensor fusion support for the AirPods Pro 2, or all AirPods, will tie in nicely with the new health features in iOS 15 This includes the ability to monitor gait stability, and recorded gait data will reportedly help doctors determine if a person is at risk of falling

With Beats Studio Buds offering active noise cancellation for less than the cheapest AirPods models, Apple may be looking for new ways to give its "Pro" earphones an edge Fitness tracking tools may be one way to entice consumers to the more premium AirPods, rather than relying on purely audio-specific features like active noise cancellation

Still, with the AirPods Pro 2 not expected to launch until 2022, Apple may still simply be exploring the concept; the AirPods 3 appears to be more imminent, even if it will be a less advanced badass set