Apple AirPods Pro 2 wireless headphones to feature motion sensors, first fitness tracking support

New reports suggest that the Apple AirPods Pro 2 wireless headphones will feature fitness tracking for the first time, thanks to updated motion sensors.

Last year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the AirPods Pro 2 would come with updated motion sensors and a focus on fitness tracking. Earlier, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that Apple wants to add health and fitness features to AirPods in the long term.

Notably, Apple was granted a patent for an in-ear fitness monitoring system that integrates advanced biometric sensors to detect physiological indicators, including temperature, heart rate, sweat levels and more, through skin contact and built-in motion sensors.

Little information is available on how the AirPods Pro 2 fitness tracking feature will work, but it is likely to be integrated with the Apple Watch Activity Ring. Apple's iOS 16 system extends Activity Circles to all users, allowing them to set daily activity goals and view active calories in the Fitness app, even if they don't have an Apple Watch. Users can also share their Activity Circles with friends for added motivation.

The iPhone motion sensor tracks steps, distance, metres climbed and workouts from third-party apps, which can be converted into an estimate of active calories and contribute to the user's daily activity goals. Given Apple's upcoming expansion of Activity Circles to all iPhones, it is now more likely that AirPods will be used to collect even more activity data, especially for those without an Apple Watch.

In addition to fitness tracking, AirPods Pro 2 is expected to feature the same design as the current model, a skin detection sensor rather than an IR sensor, a "significantly upgraded" wireless chip, support for Apple's Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC) playback, and an audible charging case for location tracking.

Apple AirPods Pro 2 will launch in the second half of 2022, according to numerous reports. Ming-Chi Kuo has narrowed down the launch of AirPods Pro 2 to Q4 2022, which runs from October to Q4 2022.