When Apple introduced the Airpods 4 in your iPhone 16 event and also provided a small update to the AirPods Max, adding USB-C and some new colors, it also announced some new features coming AirPods Pro 2. The most important feature of the headphones is the ability to use them as clinical-grade over-the-counter hearing aids.
All Apple needed was FDA clearance for this feature, and now the company has it. in a Press releaseThe FDA announced that it had granted clearance for AirPods Pro 2 to serve as hearing aids. In the announcement, the agency said: “Once installed and customized to the user’s hearing needs, the hearing aid feature allows compatible versions of AirPods Pro to serve as an over-the-counter hearing aid, intended to amplify sounds for people 18 years of age or older with perceived mild to moderate hearing impairment.”
In a statement, Michelle Tarver, M.D., Ph.D., acting director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said, “Today’s marketing authorization of over-the-counter hearing aid software in a widely used consumer audio product is another step advancing the availability, accessibility, and acceptability of hearing support for adults with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss.”
There’s still more to come to the AirPods Pro 2
The hearing aid industry is huge. According to the FDA, “more than 30 million American adults report some degree of hearing loss,” so this is an industry that is ripe for disruption and Apple is in a perfect place to do so.
While being able to use your AirPods Pro 2 as a hearing aid is undoubtedly the biggest feature coming to headphones this fall with iOS 18, there are two other major health features on the way. The first is hearing protection, which is on by default and ensures that you don’t turn up the audio so loud that it causes permanent damage to your ears. In fact, you can now use AirPods Pro 2 as earplugs at live concerts.
The other feature of the AirPods Pro 2 is a hearing test that anyone can take from home to check the health of their hearing. Apple says the test is “clinically validated” and can be performed in just five minutes at home. The company says the test uses real-world data and is based on learning done with its Apple study programs. Once you’re done with the test, you’ll get a personalized hearing profile.
While the AirPods 4 may be the only “new” AirPods the company will release this fall, the AirPods Pro 2 may even look new with all of these new features. Hooray, headphones are becoming upgradeable products!
