AirPods Pro 2 could put fitness trackers in your ears — here's how

AirPods Pro
(Image credit: Regan Coule/Tom's Guide)

The Apple AirPods Pro 2, the rumored follow-up to the noise-cancelling AirPods Pro, will reportedly launch in 2022 and support exclusive fitness tracking features.

According to Bloomberg, the release of second-generation AirPods Pro will make "the first change" to one of the best wireless earbuds since the pair of buds released in October 2019. 

While it's rumored the upcoming AirPods 3 will borrow elements of original AirPods Pro design, namely the shortened stems, the new Pro version will offer certain features that differentiate it from Apple's entry-level earbuds.

The AirPods Pro‌ 2 will have updated motion sensors and a general focus on fitness tracking. Though the AirPods Pro already holds a spot on our list of the best workout headphones, offering a sweat-resistant build, active noise cancellation and hands-free Siri controls, a new model could raise the stakes with activity tracking stemming from your ears.

But it wouldn't be a novel concept. There are already headphones that can read your heart rate, while the Amazon Echo Buds 2 is capable of recording steps, distance, duration, calories, and pace in 'Workout' mode.

The AirPods Pro 2 could get similar tools, though any metrics collected via motion sensors or other internals would likely complement the health-tracking abilities of the Apple Watch. It's hard to imagine Apple releasing a product that could wholly replace its industry-leading wearable.

Beyond the rumored upgrades, we expect the AirPods Pro 2 will again have active noise cancellation and transparency modes, as well as support for spatial audio. We haven't heard anything yet regarding the AirPods Pro 2 battery life, so we're inclined to believe not much will change from the 4.5 hours of playtime (with 24 total hours through case charging.)

Kate Kozuch

Kate Kozuch is the managing editor of social and video at Tom’s Guide. She covers smartwatches, TVs and audio devices, too. Kate appears on Fox News to talk tech trends and runs the Tom's Guide TikTok account, which you should be following. When she’s not filming tech videos, you can find her taking up a new sport, mastering the NYT Crossword or channeling her inner celebrity chef.