THE Apple revealed a new feature for its latest model of AirPods Pro this Monday (9), during event that revealed the brand’s new launches. At the conference, the company said the wireless earbuds will function as clinical-grade over-the-counter hearing aids for those who need them.
“We’re adding this innovative feature to help the more than 1 billion people living with mild to moderate hearing loss,” said Sumbul Ahmad Desai, Apple’s vice president of Health.
The tech giant also said that its hearing aid feature will increase frequencies “so that sounds are clearer and more vibrant to your ears” . The company also said the feature will use “machine learning to make real-time adjustments as you go about your day.”
This Thursday (12), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized Apple’s hearing aid feature. Apple said the feature would become available to AirPods Pro 2 owners this fall via a software update in more than 100 countries, including the United States, Germany and Japan.
Prescription hearing aids can cost thousands of dollars. At $249, AirPods Pro 2 Apple’s hearing aids can be significantly cheaper and more accessible for those who have suffered hearing loss — but they don’t work for everyone. Here’s what you need to know:
Apple’s announcement follows FDA changes
About 30 million adults in the U.S. have some degree of hearing loss, but only about a fifth of those people seek help for the problem, according to the FDA.
For people with untreated hearing loss, using hearing aids can slow the rate of cognitive decline and may lower the risk of depression, according to the FDA. However, experts said the high cost of doctor visits and hearing aids has kept some from seeking treatment.
Apple’s announcement comes two years after the FDA gave the green light to over-the-counter hearing aids. Since then, adults with mild to moderate hearing loss have been able to buy hearing aids directly from stores or online manufacturers without the help of a doctor.
To access the new hearing aid feature, AirPods Pro 2 users will have to take a test that will analyze their hearing loss by playing a series of tones.
“After you take a hearing test, your AirPods Pro are transformed into a personalized hearing aid, amplifying specific sounds you need in real time, like parts of speech or elements in your environment,” Desai said.
But over-the-counter hearing aids like these aren’t always the solution to hearing loss. The FDA still requires people under 18 to buy hearing aids with a prescription.
Over-the-counter hearing aids, like those offered by Apple, are also not a treatment for “severe or profound” hearing loss, according to the FDA. Those with significant hearing loss should still consult a healthcare professional.
“Today’s marketing authorization of over-the-counter hearing aid software in a widely used consumer audio product is another step forward in advancing the availability, affordability, and acceptability of hearing aids for adults with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss,” Michelle Tarver, acting director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said in a statement Thursday (12).
This isn’t the first time Apple has dabbled in the healthcare space. The Apple Watch can detect irregular heart rhythms associated with atrial fibrillation, or AFib, which can lead to blood clots, stroke, and heart failure, according to the American Heart Association.
On Tuesday, Apple announced that its latest Apple Watch 10 It can also alert users to sleep apnea, a condition in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep.
High hopes for Apple’s new hearing aid feature
Barbara Kelley, executive director of the Hearing Loss Association of America, said she expected an announcement like Apple’s after the FDA opened the market to over-the-counter products two years ago.
“That’s what we wanted in the marketplace, to see technological innovation to really make people pay attention to hearing health,” Kelley said.
Kelley said he hopes Apple’s new product will encourage more people to address hearing loss.
“There’s still a stigma associated with hearing loss that comes with aging,” Kelley said. “But my gosh, I see elementary school kids with these AirPods in their ears. If they can also serve as a hearing aid, I think that’s really exciting.”
Apple’s announcement was applauded by some hearing aid users on social media as well. But many noted a clear advantage that traditional hearing aids have over AirPods: Hearing aids have battery life measured in days, not hours.
“As someone with hearing loss, this was the most exciting thing about today’s event,” one Reddit user posted on Tuesday. “I hope they can make the battery life better than 3-6 hours. It would be nice to have 8 hours.”
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This content was originally published in Apple: AirPods now act as hearing aids; find out how it works on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
Charles Grill is a tech-savvy writer with over 3 years of experience in the field. He writes on a variety of technology-related topics and has a strong focus on the latest advancements in the industry. He is connected with several online news websites and is currently contributing to a technology-focused platform.
