This tidbit of information originated from a recent DigiTimes report (opens in new tab) claiming that the next AirPods could have built-in ambient light sensors. As with all rumors, this should be taken with a proverbial grain of salt. However, the possibility of these integrated sensors for use as part of heath monitoring function is plausible.  The Apple Watch offers heart rate monitoring and perhaps Apple could be looking to add this technology to more wearables. If they can check blood oxygen levels, detect heart conditions, and offer reports via the Health app or Siri, future AirPods would have a leg up on the Google Pixel Buds 2 and the Samsung Bud Plus successors.  The exact release date of the next AirPods remains a mystery but likely won’t see the light of day until 2021. As we reported (opens in new tab) earlier this year, Apple is expected to release over-ear noise cancelling headphones toward late summer or early fall of 2020.

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