Fresh Apple rumors: AirPort successor, doorbell and heart rate AirPods
Apple is apparently planning to introduce a new smart home device and is reportedly expanding the AirPods Pro 3, but it won't stop there.
The Apple rumor mill is still active before Christmas.
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Shortly before the holidays, there is speculation about several new Apple products that will fall into the company's accessories category. However, one hope – of reviving the once popular AirPort wireless routers with new Apple chips – does not seem to be confirmed. This was reported by the usually well-informed Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman in his newsletter at the weekend.
Router sector still without AirPort
Apple withdrew its successful Wi-Fi series with the standard AirPort Extreme model, the compact AirPort Express device and the simple NAS Time Capsule from the market in 2018 after a long period without any hardware improvements. Since then, fans of the easy-to-use routers have been hoping for a resurrection of the product line. One possible reason for this could be the fact that Apple is apparently on the verge of introducing its own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips, which could make their debut in the first products as early as 2025.
"While I myself believe that [a revival of the AirPort product line] would be great, I need to make one thing clear: Apple is not working on an AirPort wireless router." However, the chip, codenamed Proxima, could theoretically turn an Apple TV device or a HomePod into an access point, Gurman added. Google has already launched such products that combine smart speakers and Wi-Fi routers. However, Apple will not make this the main selling point of such devices.
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HomeKit doorbell and AirPods Pro 3 with health features
What Apple is apparently working on, however, is a new HomeKit doorbell. There has not yet been any speculation about this product, which is intended to take advantage of Apple's good privacy image, according to Gurman. The "Smart Doorbell" could have "advanced facial recognition" with a connection to door locks from other manufacturers. However, it is also conceivable that Apple could cooperate with a specific provider. "The idea is that the doorbell automatically opens the door when a resident scans their face." Face ID is currently said to have a one in a million chance of provoking false detections. "Nevertheless, Apple has to deal with this scenario." Apple must also rule out other dangers such as the takeover of other HomeKit devices. It is still unclear when the device will be released –, but possibly not before 2026.
It is more likely that the new AirPods Pro 3 will be released sooner. According to Gurman, these will feature heart rate monitoring for the first time, although this is still "in early development". There is a role model for this: the Powerbeats Pro 2 from Apple subsidiary Beats are set to receive the technology as early as 2025. In the longer term, Apple is even considering integrating a camera into the AirPods Pro and retrofitting AI functions.
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