AirPods Pro 3 could be Apple's next big health, fitness bet: What to expect

Recent research suggests, Apple could rely on acoustic-based sensors to offer heart rate monitoring feature on AirPods Pro 3

Apple has published a new research paper in collaboration with the University of North Carolina, detailing how it is using an in-house artificial intelligence model—CLAP (Contrastive Language-Audio Pretraining)—to estimate heart rate using acoustic data, such as stethoscope recordings. Originally developed for automatic speech recognition, CLAP was retrained by Apple using publicly available phonocardiogram (PCG) datasets to classify heart-related sounds and output beats-per-minute (BPM) estimates.

 

While Apple has not confirmed any commercial implementation, the technology could be applied to future wearable products, such as AirPods. Apple’s earbuds already use in-ear microphones for features like Active Noise Cancellation, and these same mics could theoretically be leveraged to capture acoustic data for heart rate analysis.

If brought to market, this would not be Apple’s first foray into earbuds with health tracking features. Earlier this year, Apple-owned Beats launched the Powerbeats Pro 2, which includes heart-rate monitoring via optical sensors, similar to those found in smartwatches. However, if Apple integrates heart-rate tracking into its AirPods line-up, it could potentially rely on acoustic-based sensing instead of optical components.

 

Apple’s AirPods Pro are due for an upgrade, and heart-rate sensing may be just one of several new features. A Bloomberg report previously revealed that Apple is also working on integrating cameras into a future AirPods Pro model. These cameras could enable Apple’s AI-driven Visual Intelligence system, designed to provide real-time assistance based on physical surroundings. Such technology could also offer accessibility benefits for visually impaired users—providing real-time navigation, object recognition, or contextual guidance.

The current AirPods Pro 2 already offers several hearing health features. These include a software-based Hearing Aid function that supports users with mild to moderate hearing loss. This feature begins with a pure-tone audiometry-based Hearing Test to assess the user's hearing profile. It then adjusts audio playback in real time, enhancing voices, music, and calls based on the user’s needs.