By: Guy Tal Hauser
There’s a rumor going around that Apple is gearing up to release new AirPods with a health monitoring feature in the first 6 months of 2019. Whether this will actually bear fruit, only time will tell.
When it comes to rumors there’s a scale of believability we must consult. On this scale, Tim Cook would be at the top and your tech-illiterate grandfather would be at the bottom. Where the source of the rumor falls on this scale determines whether or not it’s worth reporting.
If the rumor was started by someone who in no way would have knowledge of the inner workings, let alone confidential future releases, of Apple, then we can pretty much disregard it and not waste our or your time reporting on it.
While this rumor doesn’t come from a member of the Apple team, nor does it come from more-right-than-he’s-wrong Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, it does come from DigiTimes, which, while not right that often, has hit the mark a couple of times.
“In terms of wireless headsets, Apple is set to release AirPods 2 sometime in the first half of 2019, and the new wireless earbuds with discrete designs to carry health monitoring functions are expected to receive enthusiastic market responses,” the report claims.
The problem is, that’s all they say in the report. There’s no mention of a source or whether or not this is strictly a guess. Though the details of “health monitoring functions” and “first half of 2019” lead me to believe this is more than an educated guess. Though they also may just be piggybacking on the Bloomberg prediction back in June 2018.
The AirPods, as they stand, are still a popular tech accessory. The discreet, yet quality earphones are simple, some might say basic, but there’s nothing wrong with that. Sometimes less is more. The simple tap to execute a command plus easy pairing, not to mention lack of wires, making it a top pick for your headphone experience.
But in the world of tech, a 2-year old anything is considered ancient. Apple must release next-gen AirPods, even if it only sports an upgrade or two. Fresh is the name of the game.
I’m hoping we get some word in February on whether or not we’ll see a release this year. We’ll have to hold out until at least then.
About Guy Tal Hauser
Guy Tal Hauser is a regular tech beat reporter and Videographer for NewsWatch. He lives in Maryland with his wife and loves all things tech.
