Apple unveiled the new AirPods Pro 3 during its “awe-dropping” event Tuesday. The latest iteration of the Pro earpods has improved noise cancellation, the ability to translate other languages in real time, better and clearer sound quality, and water resistance, so it can handle your sweatiest workouts. But the AirPods Pro’s newest standout feature is its ability to read your heart rate using a small sensor implanted in the earpiece.
That means during your daily walks or workouts, your AirPods will be able to capture your heart rate using a unique infrared light sensor and a new on-device AI model that tracks heart rate and calories burned. All this data will be tracked in Apple’s Fitness app.
Additionally, the new AirPods will also give you access to Workout Buddy, a fitness feature that uses Apple Intelligence to collect your workout data, fitness history and more to personalize your workout experience. So if you’re going for a walk or run, these AirPods will function like a coach, motivating you during your workout. If you’re already an Apple Fitness Plus member, you’ll be able to use these AirPods to view your real-time performance metrics like heart rate, calories burned, Burn Bar and close the Move ring on screen.
The addition of the heart rate sensor took me by surprise, since these types of sensors are commonly used on wearables around the wrist, like the Apple Watch, or as a smart ring. However, it does make me wonder how accurate or in sync the data will be if someone owns both the AirPods Pro 3 and an Apple Watch. Now that both can record your workouts, it will be interesting to see how it plays out as people use them in the real world.
The Apple AirPods Pro 3 are now available for preorder and will hit stores next Friday, Sept. 19. Pricing starts at $249 (£219, AU$429).