Accept a call with just a nod. Decline a call by shaking your head. You can use head gestures to respond to Siri announcements in your AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4.
Here’s how: https://t.co/RMp2UO2rgR pic.twitter.com/4hEQdBmHrA
— Apple Support (@AppleSupport) October 27, 2024
Apple has introduced a groundbreaking suite of hearing health tools for the AirPods Pro 2, focusing on prevention, awareness, and assistance. These features provide hearing protection, hearing tests, and hearing aid functionality directly on an iPhone. The hearing protection feature offers robust protection in noisy environments, helping maintain hearing health.
Hearing is a vital part of our health. Apple's new end-to-end hearing health experience with AirPods Pro 2 allows customers to improve, protect, and better understand their hearing. We're excited for these new features to have an impact on people's lives. They're available today!
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) October 29, 2024
It can be used in various loud settings such as concerts, commutes, and sporting events, providing significant noise reduction across transparency, adaptive, and noise-canceling modes. The hearing test is a crucial feature, as many adults rarely undergo hearing tests unless there’s apparent hearing loss. The test takes around five to seven minutes and provides immediate results, showing hearing health categorized as Little to No Loss, Mild Loss, Moderate Loss, Severe Loss, or Profound Loss.
Detailed graphs in Apple Health show how users fare with each frequency, allowing them to track changes over time.
AirPods Pro 2’s end-to-end hearing health experience is the result of deep collaboration across multiple teams, and Apple's commitment to improving the lives of our users. These new features are available today! See how they came to life! https://t.co/aX0zWq3hZ9
— Greg Joswiak (@gregjoz) October 29, 2024
If the hearing test shows mild to moderate hearing loss, the AirPods Pro 2 can function as clinical-grade hearing aids. This enhancement could fundamentally change how people perceive and use earbuds, making them more than just a tool for listening to music or making calls.
"AirPods Pro 2 users running firmware 7B19, and iOS 18.1 on their iPhone, will gain access to three powerful new hearing health capabilities: Hearing Test, Hearing Aid, and Hearing Protection." https://t.co/qccg5UzLoA
— Amber Mac (@ambermac) October 29, 2024
Millions who could benefit from hearing aids have never tried them due to high costs, limited access to health care, and stigma. Apple’s introduction of a hearing aid feature in its AirPods Pro models could help bridge this gap. The hearing aid feature requires an iPhone or iPad to set it up.
Hearing health tools overview
Built-in tests help users determine if they have hearing loss and set personalized amplification levels. The AirPods Pro 2 retail for $249 on Apple’s website and sometimes less from other retailers.
Experts agree that the integration of hearing aid functionality into a widely recognized product like AirPods could help reduce the stigma associated with wearing hearing aids. However, there are potential drawbacks, such as fit and comfort during extended use, and battery life limitations compared to traditional hearing aids. One compelling feature is Conversation Boost, which amplifies voices directly in front of the user—a boon for social settings with lots of background noise.
Additionally, the hearing health settings allow multiple tests to be saved and managed, making it easy for users to lend their AirPods to family members or friends curious about their hearing health. Testing the Apple software against a professional audiogram, the results were strikingly similar. Users can even upload professional audiograms to the Health app, which can then adjust the AirPods’ settings accordingly.
The AirPods Pro 2 are priced at $250, making them a cost-effective alternative to many over-the-counter hearing aids, which can range from $1,000 to $1,700. However, with a battery life of only 6 hours, they are not a complete replacement for all-day use hearing aids. Apple’s hearing health software represents a significant advancement in making hearing aid technology more accessible and integrated into everyday devices.
For those with mild to moderate hearing loss, the AirPods Pro 2 could serve as an affordable and stylish solution, opening up conversations around hearing health and making necessary technology a part of daily life.
