Last week, Apple held a product announcement event in which they revealed their newest AirPods model. In a feat of medical advancement, the company announced their newest AirPods Pro Model will double as “clinical-grade over-the-counter” hearing aids.
Apple held one of their annual product announcement events last week in which they revealed a slew of new devices and upgrades to some previous tech favorites. One of the most notable announcements was Apple’s upgrade to their AirPods Pro model.
The tech giant announced that their newest AirPods Pro model can be used as a “clinical-grade over-the-counter” hearing aid for individuals who need them, according to reports.
CNN reported that the US Food and Drug Administration authorized Apple’s new hearing aid feature last week. Apple said the feature will be available in the AirPods Pro 2 model through a software update in over 100 countries.
Sumbul Ahmad Desai, Apple’s vice president of health, stated the new model’s hearing aid feature will “boost frequencies so sounds are clearer and more vibrant to your ears. The feature will use machine learning to make real-time adjustments as you go about your day.
“We’re adding this groundbreaking capability to help more than 1 billion people living with mild to moderate hearing loss.”
Prescription hearing aids can typically cost thousands of dollars, so with Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 being $249, many individuals could now have a cheaper and more accessible option to assist with the effects of hearing loss. The AirPods won’t work for everyone, however.
The FDA reported that around 30 million American adults have some form of hearing loss, but only about 20% of them actually seek assistance to help with their particular issue.
The Administration also stated that the use of hearing aids for individuals with hearing loss can reduce the rate of cognitive decline, also reducing the risk of depression. The high costs of doctor visits and hearing aids in general is unfortunately why only about one-fifth of Americans seek treatment.
Two years ago, the FDA worked to combat this issue by approving over-the-counter hearing aids so that adults with mild to moderate hearing loss can easily buy hearing aids directly from stores, pharmacies, or manufacturers without a doctor.
Desai said that in order for owners of the AirPods Pro 2 to access the hearing aid feature, they’ll need to take a test that will analyze their specific level of hearing loss. The test will involve playing a series of tones.
“After you take a hearing test, your AirPods Pro are transformed into a personalized hearing aid, boosting specific sounds you need in real-time, like parts of speech or elements within your environment.”
It’s important to note that over-the-counter hearing aids won’t work for every individual experiencing hearing loss. If you’re under the age of 18, the FDA requires you to purchase a hearing aid via prescription. Additionally, over-the-counter hearing aids, such as the new AirPods Pro 2, don’t work as a treatment for “severe or profound” hearing loss.
“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,” said Michelle Tarver, director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health.
Barbara Kelley, the executive director of Hearing Loss Association of America, said she “had hoped for an announcement like Apple’s after the FDA opened up the market to over-the-counter offerings two years ago.”
“This is what we wanted in the market, to see technology innovation to really get people to pay attention to their hearing health,” she said.
“There’s still a stigma attached to hearing loss coming with aging. But my goodness, I see elementary school kids with these AirPods in their ears. If it can also serve as a hearing aid, I think that’s really exciting,” Kelley said.
Eric Mastrota is a Contributing Editor at The National Digest based in New York. A graduate of SUNY New Paltz, he reports on world news, culture, and lifestyle. You can reach him at eric.mastrota@thenationaldigest.com.
