The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has officially approved the hearing aid feature on Apple AirPods Pro 2. The feature will be sent to the headphones via a software update in the near future.

This allows Apple to disrupt the existing hearing aid market. Essentially, the company is taking a similar approach to other manufacturers of low-cost, over-the-counter hearing aids, offering a product that is both a Bluetooth headset and a hearing aid. However, the difference is that it is not introducing a new product, but rather adding hearing aid technology to an existing product.

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AirPods Pro 2 will receive a software update to become hearing aids. Photo: Apple

Users will take an on-demand hearing test on their iPhone. After a few minutes, the iPhone generates a hearing graph that is used to program the AirPods Pro as hearing aids.

Apple says the personalized adjustments will increase the volume of the user’s surrounding sounds in real time, while the hearing aid algorithm uses the aforementioned audiogram to adjust the frequencies. The company also allows users to upload existing audiograms for more flexibility.

One of the most impressive and unique features is that these settings also apply to the streaming experience. Most other over-the-counter hearing aids will completely turn off the hearing aid when streaming, so this represents a real upgrade for those with hearing loss.

Apple is touting this as “the world's first software-based hearing aid feature,” which involves rolling out the feature via a software update.

The new AirPods Pro feature is good news for the millions of people with hearing loss, helping them know if they need medical help, according to audiologist Ruth Reisman. But she cautions that the product may not be as sophisticated as prescription hearing aids. Apple’s technology is intended for people with mild to moderate hearing loss.

At $249, the AirPods Pro 2 are relatively expensive for wireless earbuds. But as hearing aids, they’re one of the cheapest options out there. These days, basic hearing aids cost between $300 and $400. In the U.S., most range from $1,000 to $6,000, depending on features and complexity.

“Hearing loss is a major public health problem that affects millions of Americans,” said Michelle Tarver, acting director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Health. “Approval of the hearing aid feature on AirPods Pro 2 is an important step toward making hearing assistance more accessible and affordable.”

The FDA decision follows a clinical study of 118 people who believed they had mild or moderate hearing loss, in which those who had their AirPods set up through Apple’s hearing test saw similar benefits to those who had their headphones fitted by a professional.

In 2022, the FDA approved over-the-counter hearing aids, allowing adults with mild to moderate hearing loss to purchase devices directly from retailers without a medical exam or consultation with a hearing professional.

Apple plans to roll out the update in late 2024, but the exact timing is unclear.

(According to Wired, Firstpost)