Apple's AirPods may one day replace the Apple Watch as the fitness tracking wearable of choice for iPhone users.

This is thanks to an Apple patent published by Patently Apple, which details how a pair of wireless earphones like the AirPods can be used to provide exercise guidance and track activity and fitness data.

The "Wireless Earphone System with Pause Detection" patent explains that a pair of earbuds, which could be future AirPods, "may be equipped with sensors that collect orientation information such as accelerometer readings during user movement." iPhone and When used in combination, the data could be analyzed to fuel a coaching system that would provide voice feedback and performance monitoring to the wearer.

They also detail how the earbuds could incorporate other sensors and control circuitry to monitor a person's movements based on head orientation. From the movements, the system then infers the type of activity the person is engaged in and the appropriate posture for it.

"Audible feedback may be provided to the user based on the user's performance assessment of the head movement routine," the patent summarizes.

"Other appropriate actions could be taken, such as issuing performance reports or alerts. If desired, additional sensors may be used in collecting orientation data during the user movement routine and additional evaluation, guidance, and feedback operations may be performed."

In effect, Apple's patent suggests a way to add fitness and exercise features to future AirPods. We have already heard rumors that the AirPods 3 could feature an ambient light sensor to detect a person's heart rate and infer certain health conditions from it. Therefore, it would not be so much of a leap of imagination that the next generation AirPods will have some sort of fitness tracking and coaching feature.

Given that Apple expects people to use Siri with their AirPods, it would not be too difficult to have the earbuds feed back coaching advice. And once a paired iPhone is in the mix, much of the information collected by the earbuds could be sent to Apple's smartphone and used to provide richer fitness information combined with health data.

Since the Apple Watch 5 needs to be paired with an iPhone to get the most out of it, pairing the sensor-equipped AirPods with the iPhone could provide an alternative to tracking fitness data and pursuing health goals without the need for a smartwatch. It can be a means of pursuing health goals without the need for a smartwatch.

Like many of Apple's patents, this one may lead nowhere. However, it does offer a glimpse of where AirPods might go next in order to differentiate itself from rivals like the Pixel Buds 2 and the upcoming Galaxy Buds Live.