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AirPods 3- Amazing hidden feature
AirPods 3 – Surprising hidden feature – The MacBook Pro was the biggest thing to come out of Apple's 2021 Unleashed event.
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Apple surprised the world with the cutting-edge M1 Pro and M1 Max chips that will power the new machine.
But many fans watching live were also waiting for another announcement from Apple.
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This is the AirPods 3 update that has appeared in several leaks this year. Apple has finally announced the AirPods 3, confirming many of the rumors leading up to the event.
The new earbuds come with a significant redesign that makes them similar to the AirPods Pro.
However, they are not identical copies as the new AirPods 3 They do not feature removable tips like the Pro.
Additionally, the third-generation AirPods do not support active noise cancellation.
But the AirPods 3 have a hidden feature which is not available on the Pro model. It is a skin sensor that no other wireless headphones in the industry have.
The hidden functionality of AirPods 3
The AirPods 3 have a skin detection sensor that can tell you whether or not the earbuds are in your ears.
This will instruct your AirPods to stop playing when you place the headphones on a table or in your pocket. Here's how Apple describes the feature in the press release:
A new skin detection sensor accurately distinguishes whether AirPods are in your ear – rather than in a pocket or on a table – and pauses playback when removed.
Apple uses similar language in its AirPods 3 page :
A great sense of detection. An improved skin detection sensor knows the difference between your ear and other surfaces, so audio only plays when you're wearing AirPods — and pauses when they're in your pocket or on a table.
Additionally, Apple mentions the new sensor in the comparison tool to check the differences between the various generations of AirPods. The AirPods Pro don't have the mysterious “skin detection” sensor:
It's important to note that Apple never detailed the skin sensor during the event.
AirPods 3 – Surprising Hidden Feature
How Skin Detection Can Work
The feature may seem irrelevant. Apple uses the skin detection tool to conserve battery life by quickly stopping music playback when the buds are removed.
But the sensor is unique in the industry, according to a TrendForce report:
Through the integration of PPG (photoplethysmography) technology, AirPods 3 contain an enhanced in-ear detection mechanism based on skin detection sensors that are equipped with four SWIR (short-wave infrared) LED chips that have two wavelengths different ones, as well as two InGaAs photodiodes.
The sensor can be used to detect human skin now, but it has other potential health-related capabilities. Experts speculate that the sensor detects the water content on the user's skin.
This is how he tells the difference between skin and other surfaces. In the future, the sensor may have more complex uses:
SWIR wavelengths range from 1,050-2,500 nm, which encompasses the optical properties of compounds such as water, sugar, and alcohol.
As SWIR technologies gradually mature and prices begin to reach viable levels, wearable manufacturers are expected to officially integrate SWIR technologies into their products in 2H21.
With improvements to their algorithm, wearables are increasingly likely to feature PPG-based biosensing functions, which can measure not only heart rate and blood oxygen levels, but also other variables including body hydration, as well as blood glucose, lipid and alcohol levels in the future.
It's not just the AirPods Pro which does not have the sensor. Apple's rivals' AirPods 3 alternatives also don't come with skin sensors. The upgrade could be an expensive addition to the wireless earbuds if this report is accurate.
Prelude to the AirPods Pro 2?
If this all sounds familiar, it's because Apple is rumored to be planning to add new health tracking features to AirPods. Apple already hinted after WWDC that AirPods could collect health data in the future as part of the company's “sensor fusion” algorithms.
Current AirPods already help Apple track the headphones' audio levels, and the data appears in the Health app.
Additionally, AirPods Pro offers a feature called Conversation Boost to improve sound for the hearing impaired. Others have used AirPods to monitor patients' respiratory rates.
But rumors earlier this year said that the AirPods Pro 2 would offer more advanced health tracking features in addition to improving hearing.
Near-future AirPods can read body temperature and help Apple monitor posture. These are just rumors, however. The AirPods Pro 2 won't hit stores until next year.
Apple AirPods 3 are available for pre-order right now.
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