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Updated 17:19 IST, February 3rd 2025

Apple’s Next Wireless Earbuds May Have Heart-Rate Monitoring Feature

The Beats PowerBeats Pro 2 could come in new colours, including orange, Gurman said in his post.

Reported by: Tech Desk
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Apple has teased the launch of next Beats earbuds later this month. | Image: Reuters

Apple’s AirPods received an incremental upgrade last year. The newest models come with hearing aid capabilities but do not offer what Apple’s upcoming rumoured earbuds might. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has reported that the next earbuds under Apple’s Beats brand will house heart-rate monitoring technology — a first in the company’s non-watch product. The Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 will be launched on February 11.

In the latest edition of his newsletter Power On, Gurman has noted that PowerBeats Pro 2 will use the same H2 chip as the AirPods. This chip will allow for heart rate monitoring on the earbuds, in addition to better active noise cancellation. PowerBeats Pro range has been aimed at athletes, so heart rate monitoring on the upcoming version will allow them to track their vitals proactively.

If successful, the heart rate monitoring functionality could also be implemented on the next-generation AirPods. Multiple previous rumours have underscored Apple’s plans to bring more health-centric features to its hearables. The upcoming Beats earbuds could be a doorway to implementing that technology for a wider user base on a large scale.

The Beats PowerBeats Pro 2 could come in new colours, including orange, Gurman said in his post.

In a related development, Apple is also said to be working on a new iCloud-based service called ‘Confetti’ internally. Gurman said ‘Confetti’ will be an invite service to allow users to invite people to parties, functions and meetings using the Calendar app. Apple, he said, has been working on an overhaul of the Calendar app for “years” and the upcoming version could be “the beginning of a broader effort.” The release of the next Calendar app is tied to iOS 18.3, which began rolling out last week.

Last week, select iPhone models on T-Mobile’s network became eligible for Starlink’s satellite services with iOS 18.3. Available currently in the beta stage as part of T-Mobile’s partnership with SpaceX, the satellite connectivity will allow eligible iPhone users to send text when they are in an area with zero cellular connectivity.
 

Published 17:19 IST, February 3rd 2025