Apple Updating Newer AirPods This Year to Have Voice Activation?

By Edward Leano, Christian Post Contributor Friday, February 23, 2018

Apple has some big plans for their Airpods this year. The wireless earpieces, which were very popular items during last year's holiday season could see some upgrades ranging from Siri integration to water resistance.

The new Airpods could be Apple's ticket to boosting its hold on the wearables market, according to Bloomberg. As such, the company is now investing in a set of updates for the model, some of which could make it this 2018.

This year, Apple is working on a new generation of Airpods with an updated wireless chip — one which includes voice recognition. While current Airpods require users to lightly tap them on the side to activate their digital assistant, the newer models could start taking notes as soon as the user says "Hey Siri."

This hands-free activation will work much like how the iPhone or the company's new HomePod home speaker works. The new feature could come as early as this year, as the new Airpods, now internally referred to as the B288 model, could come with the second generation W2 chip which debuted in the Apple Watch last year.

This new chip, custom-designed by Apple to handle Bluetooth connections for their wearable devices, will be a significant upgrade from the W1 chip which the current model of Airpods now carries.

Next year, Apple could be looking at making the next batch of Airpods waterproof, perhaps enough to be safely worn out in the rain. The Apple Watch is considered safe for swimming, although the Airpod with its speaker mesh will likely not be able to do as much.

Headphones used to be an accessory that can go for years without needing an update, as The Verge noted. Apple now looks to be changing that notion by having the Airpods do more than just play music, in its effort to add even more features to drive yearly updates.