During its polished product announcement event on Tuesday, Apple revealed a brand new function for its latest AirPods Pro model: as a medical device. The corporate stated that these wireless headphones will even function clinical-grade, over-the-counter hearing aids for people who need them.
“We’re introducing this groundbreaking feature to help greater than 1 billion individuals with mild to moderate hearing loss,” said Sumbul Ahmad Desai, Apple’s vice chairman of health.
Apple explained that the hearing aid function will enhance frequencies “to make sounds clearer and more vibrant in your ears.” The feature will even utilize “machine learning to make real-time adjustments throughout your day.”
Prescription hearing aids might be quite costly, often reaching 1000’s of dollars. At $249, Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 offer a more cost-effective and accessible option for those with hearing loss, though they is probably not suitable for everybody. Here’s what you should know:
Nearly 30 million adults within the U.S. experience some level of hearing loss, but only about 20% of them seek help, in keeping with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Using hearing aids can mitigate cognitive decline and will reduce the chance of depression for those with untreated hearing loss, as noted by the FDA. Despite this, the high cost of medical consultations and hearing aids has prevented some individuals from pursuing treatment.
Apple’s announcement comes two years after the FDA approved the sale of over-the-counter hearing aids. Since that point, adults with mild to moderate hearing loss have been capable of purchase hearing aids directly from stores or online while not having a physician’s prescription.
To access the brand new hearing aid feature, AirPods Pro 2 users must complete a test that evaluates their hearing by playing a series of tones.
“After you’re taking a hearing test, your AirPods Pro shall be transformed into a customized hearing aid, enhancing specific sounds you wish in real-time, comparable to parts of speech or environmental elements,” Desai said.
Nevertheless, over-the-counter hearing aids is probably not suitable for all cases of hearing loss. The FDA still requires that individuals under 18 obtain hearing aids through a prescription.
Moreover, over-the-counter hearing aids, including Apple’s, will not be designed for “severe or profound” hearing loss. Those with significant hearing loss should seek the advice of a healthcare skilled.
Apple anticipates receiving FDA clearance “very soon,” which might officially classify the AirPods Pro 2 as a regulated medical device. This fall, the hearing assistance features shall be made available through a software update in over 100 countries, including the USA, Germany, and Japan.
This isn’t Apple’s first foray into healthcare. The Apple Watch can detect irregular heart rhythms related to atrial fibrillation (AFib), which may result in blood clots, stroke, and heart failure, in keeping with the American Heart Association.
On Tuesday, Apple also announced that the brand new Apple Watch 10 can alert users to sleep apnea, a condition where respiration repeatedly stops and starts during sleep.
Barbara Kelley, executive director of the Hearing Loss Association of America, expressed optimism about Apple’s announcement following the FDA’s opening of the over-the-counter hearing aid market two years ago.
“This is strictly what we wanted out there—technological innovation that encourages people to listen to their hearing health,” Kelley said.
She hopes Apple’s latest product will motivate more individuals to handle hearing loss.
“There’s still a stigma attached to hearing loss and aging,” Kelley said. “But I see elementary school children with these AirPods of their ears. If it might also function as a hearing aid, that’s incredibly exciting.”
Apple’s announcement has been well-received by some hearing aid users on social media. Nevertheless, many noted a notable advantage of traditional hearing aids over AirPods: battery life, which in traditional hearing aids lasts days reasonably than hours.
“As someone who’s hearing impaired, this was essentially the most exciting announcement from today’s event,” one Reddit user commented. “I hope they’ll improve battery life beyond the present 3-6 hours to eight hours.”
