A new report estimates that Apple AirPods shipments will reach 85 million units in 2022, which is a 3.7% year-on-year increase. The recently released AirPods 3 will be a major contributor to the total sales figure of course, but they’re joined by the AirPods Pro and AirPods Max. We might even see the sequels to the latter two next year.
The report by TrendForce adds that Apple’s latest AirPods 3 feature an improved optical in-ear detection mechanism. This works through the integration of PPG (photoplethysmography) technology paired with four SWIR (short-wave infrared) LED chips that have two different wavelengths. The skin-detect sensors may potentially detect the water content in the wearer’s skin, granting the AirPods 3 the ability to differentiate between human skin and other surfaces.
The rise in the demand for AirPods will thus be benefitting component suppliers for the same. Some of these include Epistar and DOWA that supply SWIR LED chips, DOWA and II-VI/Finisar that supply InGaAs photodiode, and module assembler USI.
SWIR wavelengths range from 1,050-2,500 nm which is sufficient for optical properties of compounds such as water, sugar, and alcohol. More wearables manufacturers are expected to integrate the tech into their products in the near future, as its prices are set to drop as it matures.
Consequently, more wearables will be coming with PPG-based biosensing functions that will be sensing more advanced stuff like body hydration, blood glucose, blood lipid, and blood alcohol levels in the future. Most current wearables have a limited scope of measuring only heart rate and blood oxygen levels.
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