Apple has unveiled a series of hearing health upgrades for the AirPods Pro 2, including a new “clinical grade” hearing aid feature for people with mild to moderate hearing loss.
The iPhone maker says the hearing aid functionality is still pending FDA certification, but it expects it, along with other regulatory bodies, “soon.”
The redesigned AirPods were unveiled during Apple’s “It’s Glowtime” event.
According to Apple, the AirPods Pro 2 hearing aid will be the first of its type, a software-based gadget that promises to make hearing assistance more accessible and easier to adopt, all at an affordable price point.
When enabled, the hearing aid feature enhances selected sounds in real-time, such as speech or environmental factors. It also applies a personalised hearing profile (details below) to music, movies, and phone calls across devices.
According to Apple, this will allow wearers to hear their surroundings and partake in conversations more clearly.
“With AirPods 4, customers can enjoy Active Noise Cancellation and the most advanced audio experience ever in an open-ear design,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering. “And with a revolutionary update to the world’s best-selling headphones, AirPods Pro will deliver groundbreaking new capabilities — including Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features — to help more than a billion people affected by hearing loss.”
Newsng gathered that the interactive test will urge users to listen to noises at different frequencies and then tap their iPhone screens in response to the on-screen instructions.
The results, which include an audiogram and a number representing hearing loss in each ear, may be viewed in the iPhone Health app.
A specific hearing profile is subsequently developed, which is immediately used when users listen to audio, such as music, podcasts, or phone calls.
Apple is also introducing a passive hearing protection mode, which will automatically suppress noise in loud circumstances such as concerts.
The feature is always activated, with Apple stating that one in every three individuals is often exposed to noisy surroundings that can harm their hearing.
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