Matthew Miller/ZDNET
Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.
ZDNET's key takeaways
The AirPods Pro 3 can measure your heart rate during a workout.
The Apple Watch offers a variety of other health-related tools.
I'll buy the AirPods Pro 3, but the Apple Watch is my go-to device.
I've used an Apple Watch for years and have always found it a helpful and convenient device. I especially like the health-related features, most notably the heart rate monitor that can not only measure my current rate but keep track of my resting rate, walking rate, and a range over time.
I don't always wear my watch around the house. But I do put it on when I go out, especially if I'm walking around the track, going for a bike ride, working out at the gym, or taking a yoga class. I appreciate the way my heart rate is automatically recorded when I exercise or perform another physical activity, captured through the Workout app.
Now we hear that the AirPods Pro 3 will come with its own heart rate monitor. This feature will work through a custom photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor that shines infrared light pulsed at 256 times per second to measure the absorption of light in your blood flow, according to Apple. In a nutshell, this means that the AirPods will shine light into the blood vessels in your ears. By detecting how much light is absorbed by your blood and how much is reflected back, the sensor can determine your heart rate.
Also: Did the AirPods Pro just make the Apple Watch obsolete? This new feature tells me yes
... continue reading