Apple AirPods 2 Receive Bluetooth 5.0 Certification, Might Have New Wellness Features

Apple has already launched new iPad Pros and Macs, but the company still hasn’t announced the upgraded version of its AirPods wireless headphones. However, a newly uncovered regulatory filing may be hinting that the AirPods 2 could be coming soon.

The listing for the new pair of Apple AirPods was discovered in the Bluetooth Special Interest Group’s regulatory database early this month. MySmartPrice discovered model numbers A2031 and A2032, which are presumed to be the left and the right AirPods. The filings show that the devices have already completed the Bluetooth Qualification Process.

The AirPods were also listed as having the version number REV1.1. This is different from the original pair of AirPods that carried the version number REV1.0, as pointed out by MacRumors. The filing also confirms that the AirPods 2 will arrive with Bluetooth 5.0, which is an upgrade from the original’s Bluetooth 4.0 support.

Like Bluetooth 4.0, Bluetooth 5.0 supports Bluetooth Low Energy, which is designed to reduce energy usage of devices. A feature that’s available on Bluetooth 5.0 that’s not present on the previous version is dual audio support. This allows users to stream audio from two different devices at once using only a single pair of AirPods. Other features of Bluetooth 5.0 include longer range and faster data transfer speed, which should help in better audio streaming performance.

New trademark filings in Hong Kong and Europe have also been discovered recently. The listings suggest that the new version of Apple AirPods will have more health and wellness capabilities. No specifics were given in the trademark filings, but they did say that the new AirPods would cover “general wellness instruments,” according to AppleInsider.

There are already countless rumors regarding additional health and wellness features on the AirPods 2, including the addition of a PPG sensor like the one that’s found on the Apple Watch and EKG. It'I now very likely that at least one of these rumors might actually be true.

There’s currently no information on when the second-generation AirPods will launch. But if Apple follows its previous schedule, they might be arriving soon. The original AirPods were announced in September 2016 and were released in December that year. It’s possible that Apple might announce it later this month and release it in December, but that’s purely speculation at this point. Apple also revealed last year that it will release a wireless charging case for the AirPods, but the tech giant still hasn’t given any details about its launch.