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The thing that I would love Apple to make would be an Apple hearing aid. I currently have the Resound Bluetooth hearing aids and they're ok, but I miss the ease

by dhosek 5y ago

The thing that I would love Apple to make would be an Apple hearing aid. I currently have the Resound Bluetooth hearing aids and they're ok, but I miss the ease of use of the Beats headphones I had before these (I've never been able to pair the Resounds with anything but my phone). I'm imagining something with the easy pairing of the Airpods with built-in find my integration. Given that the Resounds sell for $2000+ per pair,¹ I have to imagine that this could be a great high-margin business for Apple to get into. ⸻⸻⸻ 1. As someone with profound hearing loss, I don't expect the predicted relaxation of hearing aid rules to have much impact on me. As it is, I still need a doctor's approval to buy my hearing aids at Costco which isn't necessary under current rules for most people who need hearing aids. That said, it would be wonderful to be able to replace my hearing aids for less than the cost of a good laptop (and it's worth noting that insurance will pay for a hearing exam sometimes but pretty much never pays anything for hearing aids).

concinds 5y ago
I think (and hope) that Apple’s strategy is seemlessly integrating health as a feature in their current products, not in additional products. AirPods 9th gen, now with a built in hearing aids feature for $179. Apple Watch, now with FDA-approved blood glucose monitor for whatever that thing costs. VR headset with Siri and VoiceOver to describe everything in front of you and help the blind live better. And I’m creeped out by the trans humanist stuff, but Apple VR contact lenses that somehow connect to your brain and literally give you sight. Or at least Apple Contacts with built-in automatic eyesight correction if you’re myopic, that can be setup in minutes and doesn’t require a doctor’s visit. Better Siri and Shortcuts for seamless and productive voice interaction for blind people or those without arms. This stuff would be so cool.
- dhosek 5y ago
  The thing is, that the current Airpods form factor would not be socially acceptable as a hearing aid and vice versa. Right now, one of the things that Airpods do, in addition to play music is provide a visible signal to those around you that you're listening to music. Change that to maybe they're listening to music, maybe they're hard of hearing and it becomes a big social problem.
  - dhosek 5y ago
    I'd add, that the fact that there's no visible indication that I'm listening to music with my hearing aids is a social negative in my relationship with my wife (although I can see it being very helpful in the future when I'm back in the office and have to be visibly present at boring meetings—I'll be able to just turn off the external sounds and settle in for an hour of podcasts or audio books or music).
SamuelAdams 5y ago
Please no. I am also half deaf and wear hearing aids full time. If the tech companies make hearing aids they will inevitably find an excuse to make “always connected” required and somehow siphon data from it. I’ll keep my 6k offline only hearing aids for as long as they’ll last.
- dhosek 5y ago
  I wouldn't buy a Google hearing aid for that reason (and definitely not a Facebook hearing aid), but I trust Apple to do the right thing and I think their tech would translate well to hearing aids.
dwaite 5y ago
I strongly suspect, with nothing but circumstantial evidence, that the AirPods are the result of Apple's research into hearing aids. The precursor for the AirPods by a few years was actually a MFi (Made for iPhone) hearing aid protocol, doing audio streaming from the phone over Bluetooth LE. This is in many hearing aids on the market today. The medical market is not something Apple is really suited for, something they hit when they rolled out the EKG watch capability a few years ago (which is _still_ trickling out in markets due to slow regulatory approval). Apple also typically sells high volumes of premium products and has durable differentiators (say software experience) to justify good margins. Hearing aids unfortunately would be too low volume to justify a product - typically when something is deemed to be lower volume they work with third parties to ship it. Hence, MFi hearing aids. Because of the lower volume and high quality focus, I suspect you wouldn't save much from an Apple Hearing Aid. The variability of people's needs typically means people need at least a test by an audiologist and many need custom fittings and support. Medical offices with ongoing support add a lot of cost, which is one reason why Costco can undercut third parties so severely. It is a shame, because the hearing aid industry would be totally transformed by Apple's design and miniaturization talent.

by dhosek 5y ago

concinds 5y ago

I think (and hope) that Apple’s strategy is seemlessly integrating health as a feature in their current products, not in additional products. AirPods 9th gen, now with a built in hearing aids feature for $179. Apple Watch, now with FDA-approved blood glucose monitor for whatever that thing costs. VR headset with Siri and VoiceOver to describe everything in front of you and help the blind live better. And I’m creeped out by the trans humanist stuff, but Apple VR contact lenses that somehow connect to your brain and literally give you sight. Or at least Apple Contacts with built-in automatic eyesight correction if you’re myopic, that can be setup in minutes and doesn’t require a doctor’s visit. Better Siri and Shortcuts for seamless and productive voice interaction for blind people or those without arms. This stuff would be so cool.

dhosek 5y ago
The thing is, that the current Airpods form factor would not be socially acceptable as a hearing aid and vice versa. Right now, one of the things that Airpods do, in addition to play music is provide a visible signal to those around you that you're listening to music. Change that to maybe they're listening to music, maybe they're hard of hearing and it becomes a big social problem.
- dhosek 5y ago
  I'd add, that the fact that there's no visible indication that I'm listening to music with my hearing aids is a social negative in my relationship with my wife (although I can see it being very helpful in the future when I'm back in the office and have to be visibly present at boring meetings—I'll be able to just turn off the external sounds and settle in for an hour of podcasts or audio books or music).

SamuelAdams 5y ago

Please no. I am also half deaf and wear hearing aids full time. If the tech companies make hearing aids they will inevitably find an excuse to make “always connected” required and somehow siphon data from it. I’ll keep my 6k offline only hearing aids for as long as they’ll last.

dhosek 5y ago
I wouldn't buy a Google hearing aid for that reason (and definitely not a Facebook hearing aid), but I trust Apple to do the right thing and I think their tech would translate well to hearing aids.

dwaite 5y ago

I strongly suspect, with nothing but circumstantial evidence, that the AirPods are the result of Apple's research into hearing aids. The precursor for the AirPods by a few years was actually a MFi (Made for iPhone) hearing aid protocol, doing audio streaming from the phone over Bluetooth LE. This is in many hearing aids on the market today. The medical market is not something Apple is really suited for, something they hit when they rolled out the EKG watch capability a few years ago (which is _still_ trickling out in markets due to slow regulatory approval). Apple also typically sells high volumes of premium products and has durable differentiators (say software experience) to justify good margins. Hearing aids unfortunately would be too low volume to justify a product - typically when something is deemed to be lower volume they work with third parties to ship it. Hence, MFi hearing aids. Because of the lower volume and high quality focus, I suspect you wouldn't save much from an Apple Hearing Aid. The variability of people's needs typically means people need at least a test by an audiologist and many need custom fittings and support. Medical offices with ongoing support add a lot of cost, which is one reason why Costco can undercut third parties so severely. It is a shame, because the hearing aid industry would be totally transformed by Apple's design and miniaturization talent.