AirPods Pro To Gain 'Hearing Aid Mode' In iOS 18 (macrumors.com) 27
According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, AirPods Pro will gain a new "hearing aid mode" with the release of iOS 18 later this year. MacRumors reports: Writing in the subscriber edition of his regular Power On newsletter, Gurman claims that the "big news" for AirPods Pro in the near term will be support for a hearing aid-style function when iOS 18 drops in the fall. To be clear, this isn't the first time we have heard a potential hearing aid feature for AirPods Pro. The first rumor appeared in a 2021 Wall Street Journal report, but it was previously framed as a feature that would be exclusive to a next-generation model of AirPods Pro. However, Apple in September 2022 released the second-generation AirPods Pro, while the company more recently released a refreshed model with a USB-C port.
AirPods Pro already offer a Conversation Boost feature, which boosts the volume and clarity of people directly in front of the wearer, but Apple has not advertised the earbuds as a hearing aid device, because this would require FDA regulatory approval. As per the FDA, a hearing aid is defined as "any wearable device designed for, offered for the purpose of, or represented as aiding persons with or compensating for, impaired hearing." This definition encompasses both air-conduction and bone-conduction devices in a variety of styles (for example, behind-the-ear, in-the-canal, or body worn). [...] It is not yet clear whether Apple will need FDA clearance in order to make explicit or implicit claims about the rumored "hearing aid mode," which may not even adopt this exact name. If, for example, Apple subsequently suggests that AirPods Pro are for users with certain types or severity of hearing loss/impaired hearing, or for use as an alternative to a hearing aid, then they will require FDA regulatory approval to be marketed as such.
AirPods Pro already offer a Conversation Boost feature, which boosts the volume and clarity of people directly in front of the wearer, but Apple has not advertised the earbuds as a hearing aid device, because this would require FDA regulatory approval. As per the FDA, a hearing aid is defined as "any wearable device designed for, offered for the purpose of, or represented as aiding persons with or compensating for, impaired hearing." This definition encompasses both air-conduction and bone-conduction devices in a variety of styles (for example, behind-the-ear, in-the-canal, or body worn). [...] It is not yet clear whether Apple will need FDA clearance in order to make explicit or implicit claims about the rumored "hearing aid mode," which may not even adopt this exact name. If, for example, Apple subsequently suggests that AirPods Pro are for users with certain types or severity of hearing loss/impaired hearing, or for use as an alternative to a hearing aid, then they will require FDA regulatory approval to be marketed as such.
Obligatory (Score:3)
WHAT??
The Handicapable iClass. (Score:1)
So, when we see the student in the classroom wearing iPods they shouldn’t be wearing, are we to expect an argument back that involves invoking some ADA-protected right to free hearing, else you be considered a racist asshole for “attacking” the handicapable?
Asking for, well fuck it. You know why.
Re: (Score:1)
If you're frequently accused of being a "racist asshole" then you might want look inward.
Re: (Score:1)
If you're frequently accused of being a "racist asshole" then you might want look inward.
First off, I haven’t ever been accused of being a racist asshole. Well, except for that one time Buzzfeed tried to cancel me. And we know what happened to that ignorance.
If you’re blatantly ignoring why I’m asking, then you’ve managed to confirm why I’m asking.
Re: The Handicapable iClass. (Score:1)
Re: The Handicapable iClass. (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
I have no idea what your reply is saying. You’re probably a racist asshole, based on zero evidence..
How ironic that I was using the accusation as an example of the insufferable shit people do without a single shred of evidence. And then you go and validate it, while wondering what I’m talking about. Unreal. Truly.
Re: (Score:2)
The only thing being endured here is the rest of us enduring your insufferable drama. You had no need to nail yourself to the cross of "I'm an oppressed idiot" to ask that question and yet you felt the need to do so. You got the reply back that a question asked in such a way deserves.
Re: The Handicapable iClass. (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
else you be considered a racist asshole
Only if there's a racial factor affecting hearing impairment. Otherwise, I'm just a generic asshole.
Re: (Score:2)
Cheaper solution (Score:5, Interesting)
It won't be ideal for those hwo need custom fit and wear all day but I could see an after market for the custom moulding to adapt the AirPod for clients as well
Market Capitalism. (Score:2)
And yet somehow I don’t really see an iDevice being viewed by the actual experts on hearing loss, to pass for the same. Regardless of blatant sponsorship.
What I fully expect, is Apple marketing this as exactly the same as a medical device designed for hearing loss and not merely “earbuds”.
And quite factually, iDevices haven’t ever been marketed as a “cheaper option”.
Re: Market Capitalism. (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
These are medical devices. The question is not what price you find on a website, but rather how much is covered by insurance. I'm guessing for Apple the answer is zero. The actual cost of hearing aids is not remotely what is listed on websites.
Yes AirPods are surprisingly the cheaper option (Score:2)
I have both airPods Pro Gen2 and a recent version of medically fitted hearing aids.
TL;DR: Airpods are better than nothing as pseudo-hearing-aides and cheaper than my prescription hearing aids
The Pro's were A LOT cheaper (more than a factor of 10) and the pros have the additional nicety of active noise suppression but:
My hearing aids work better for speech: which can be literally life or death (or at least employed vs fired) when mishearing somethin
Just call it what it is. (Score:2, Funny)
backwards compatibility would be a nice SDG (Score:2)
and would have shown that Apple has somewhat of a social side too.
Question (Score:2)
Re:Question (Score:5, Interesting)
Until recently you couldn't even buy anything like hearing aids without a prescription:
https://www.health.harvard.edu... [harvard.edu]
Re: (Score:2)
Can anyone make a compelling argument for why many brands of hearing aids require a prescription to purchase? I'm at a bit of a loss on this one.
Hearing aids do not just simply amplify sound. They are usually tuned and adjusted for a very particular kind of hearing loss you have. The normalisation you apply to your hearing means you're not capable of yourself identifying what sound should actually sound like which effectively makes self-adjustment very sub optimal if not impossible.
You should never use one without talking to a hearing specialist first.
Cue the Apple Haters (Score:1)
God forbid Apple trying to make their products more useful, including for people who had already bought the stuff! Cue the haters!
Re: Cue the Apple Haters (Score:2)
If you read the article, you'd notice it's most likely just Apple re-naming their "Conversation Boost" as "Hearing Aid Mode".
The reasoning is that their "Conversation Boost" mode was released in 2021, and
"In August 2022 the FDA approved a new category of over-the-counter hearing aids that do not have to adhere to the same strict legal requirements. The new category is called Personal sound amplification products (PSAPs)."
So now Apple can label their exact sa
We're already using them for this (Score:2)
Since the AirPods Pro software can already take an audiogram as input, it not only boosts conversation, but boosts hearing in the impaired range. I've been using mine as a hearing aid since I first bought them, having damaged my hearing at music gigs. I wrote an article on Mastodon on the subject, including how to set it all up, and many people found it useful.
https://toot.cat/@garry/110005... [toot.cat]