Apple’s AirPods Offer New Feature for Hearing Impaired
The US health authorities have allowed the company “Apple“Install a new function on some headphones”Airpods“AirPods are wireless, allowing them to be transformed into hearing aids for people with mild to moderate hearing loss.
Users will be able to test their hearing for themselves in minutes by downloading the latest software update for free on their Apple iPhone or iPad.
The FDA explained in a statement that the headphones can then “amplify sounds” based on the result, while the user will be able to adjust “sound settings.”
“Hearing loss is a major public health problem affecting millions of Americans,” said administration official Michelle Tarver.
She added that the licensing of this function without a prescription “on a widely used hearing device” is “a new step towards enhancing the availability and accessibility of hearing aids.”
The product, which is approved for use in adults 18 years of age and older, was tested in a clinical trial involving 118 people.
The results showed that those who adjusted the settings themselves “had similar benefits to those who had a professional adjust the settings on the device,” according to the FDA.
In 2022, the administration allowed the purchase of hearing aids directly from the store without a prescription or adjusting the settings with the help of a hearing aid specialist, in an effort to reduce prices and increase the chances of obtaining these devices.
Apple announced on Monday that the headphones compatible with this new feature are the AirPods Pro 2, and their price is $249 before taxes.
Apple expects this feature – after obtaining a license from local health authorities – to be available starting “this fall in more than 100 countries and regions,” including Germany and Japan in addition to the United States.
