The FDA says Apple AirPods Pro can serve as hearing aids
At Monday’s “It’s Glowtime” event Apple announced that its AirPods Pro 2 would double as an over-the-counter hearing aid, courtesy of a software update, pending approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Now, as noted by TechCrunch, the FDA has announced that it has granted what it calls “the first over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aid software device, Hearing Aid Feature.” Specifically, it has approved the software update that enables that functionality.
“Hearing loss is a significant public health issue impacting millions of Americans,” the FDA’s Michelle Tarver said in a statement. “Today’s marketing authorization of an over-the-counter hearing aid software on a widely used consumer audio product is another step that advances the availability, accessibility and acceptability of hearing support for adults with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss.”
Using the upcoming personalized hearing profile from the Hearing Test, this new feature transforms AirPods Pro into a clinical-grade hearing aid, says Sumbul Desai, M.D., Apple’s vice president of Health, says.
About the hearing aid feature
After setup, the feature enables personalized dynamic adjustments so users have the sounds around them boosted in real time. Desai says this helps users better engage in conversation and keeps them connected to the people and environment around them. With the audio quality of AirPods Pro, the user’s personalized hearing profile is automatically applied to music, movies, games, and phone calls across their devices without needing to adjust any settings.
Users can also set up the Hearing Aid feature with an audiogram created by a hearing health professional. Both the Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features are grounded in science and were validated through rigorous scientific studies, Desai says. The Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features are expected to receive marketing authorization from global health authorities soon, and will be available this fall in more than 100 countries and regions, including the United States, Germany, and Japan.
After taking the Hearing Test, users can also use their hearing profile to personalize the AirPods Pro listening experience. Desai says this benefits even more people, including those with little to no hearing loss, who can take advantage of specific adjustments at individual frequencies. To help provide the best listening experience, Media Assist is an all-new feature that helps boost certain parts of speech on a phone call or instruments within a soundtrack to help an even broader population.
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