3 ms·

Unless I'm misunderstanding, the news here is Apple is adding a hearing test app, and "officially" stating that you can use your Airpods Pro like hearing aids.

by gedy 2y ago

Unless I'm misunderstanding, the news here is Apple is adding a hearing test app, and "officially" stating that you can use your Airpods Pro like hearing aids. I mention this as you can use these today as hearing aids, you just need to use a third party app to create your audiogram. I have fairly bad hearing loss and use Airpods instead of hearing aids.

dagmx 2y ago
You are missing that these are now cleared as hearing aids by the government.
- gedy 2y ago
  Well kinda in my second point but yes correct. I mentioned as I kept assuming you couldn't use these as such yet, but have been using happily for months now after I realized the functionality was all there.
- mmcconnell1618 2y ago
  As an approved medical device I wonder if you can buy airpods with a HSA now?
  - trollbridge 2y ago
    I suspect the answer is "yes", and probably with an FSA now too. There is a similar situation with the Natural Cycles app, which is cleared by the FDA as a medical device, so you can buy it with an FSA or HSA, or have insurance pay for it - which is mandatory, since it is legally a birth control device, which they have to cover. (It is also a steal for the insurance company since it costs roughly $10 a month.) I expect that insurance plans that cover hearing aids are going to cover this eventually, as a set of AirPods Pro 2 is $249, which is substantially cheaper than other hearing aids on the market. An open question is if any other manufacturer will be able to get a device that works this well at this price point - the amount of software and chip design engineering that went into H2 and the bridgeOS or RTKitOS that the AirPods run is just not something smaller manufacturers will be able to easily copy. Now, I wish I could find a better eartips fit for my ears... XS doesn't pass in the app as having a good enough seal, and S is just a little bit uncomfortable for me for all day use.
    - mschuster91 2y ago
      > An open question is if any other manufacturer will be able to get a device that works this well at this price point - the amount of software and chip design engineering that went into H2 and the bridgeOS or RTKitOS that the AirPods run is just not something smaller manufacturers will be able to easily copy. Well, "classic" hearing aids have two features that I don't see Apple replicating any time soon: longer battery life (AirPods roughly last around 4-6 hours depending on battery degradation and usage, whereas hearing aids run for days) and most especially, support for audio induction loops [1] - basically PA systems for the impaired, you'll find these in churches, conference/meeting rooms, concert halls/stadiums and in the UK also in taxicabs. Classic hearing aids will have their place for quite the time to come. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_induction_loop https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_induction_loop
    - yunohn 2y ago
      Highly recommend giving Comply Foam tips a shot - I got them a few years ago, total game changer. I replace them approx every year, since they wear out based on your usage pattern. https://www.complyfoam.com/products/apple-airpods-pro-ear-tips https://www.complyfoam.com/products/apple-airpods-pro-ear-ti...
      - tstrimple 2y ago
        I must be particularly hard on mine, or wear them far too much. A 3 pack of comply tips will only last me six months. The foam starts to tear and flake off after a while. I'm still quite happy to replace them because the sound isolation and comfort are much better than the silicon tips.
pahkah 2y ago
Yep, the path for this official recognition was cleared by the executive order two years ago that allowed for hearing aids to be sold over the counter!
wrycoder 2y ago
Without the new software, there is no boost to external sound in transparency mode, so they are not useful as hearing aids. I’m looking forward to testing the new release.
- ilt 2y ago
  That’s incorrect. I have been using Airpods Pro for 7 months now for my hearing loss. They do boost sounds in transparency mode if you choose to.
- pmcjones 2y ago
  Actually you can set up a good approximation using iPhoneOS>Settings>Accessibility>Audio & Visual>Headphone Accommodations. Under Custom Audio Setup, you can select a audiogram, such as produced by an app like Mimi, or scanned in from your audiologist.
m463 2y ago
FDA approval means you can call them hearing aids, not just some marketing term.
- grahamj 2y ago
  Either way it's just a label. You've already been able to do the same thing for years. Just use the free Mimi hearing test app, save the audiogram to Health, then apply it in headphone accommodations.
  - m463 2y ago
    https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/hearing-aids/otc-hearing-aids-what-you-should-know https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/hearing-aids/otc-hearing... Seems like they are regulated for safety, and there are lots of (decent) requirements.
grahamj 2y ago
Yep. I still haven't been able to determine if this "new" feature is any different from what already exists. I hope so because when you enable your audiogram for transparency it sounds like you're in an ASMR video. There's no way to make it sound natural but louder, which is what I would expect from a hearing aid.
- MBCook 2y ago
  The audio gram stuff existed, but wasn’t well known and as mentioned required a third party app. The hearing aid stuff was only recently certified by the FDA as an OTC hearing aid. Apple has had a mode for a many years where AirPods + iPhone could act like a hearing aid. But it didn’t meat the medical classifications.
  - an_d_rew 2y ago
    Actually you have been able to import your audiogram for at least the last two versions of iOS (16+), no third-party app required. But it was simply called "an accommodation". Can't call it a hearing aid until you were approved by the FDA!
  - grahamj 2y ago
    Right but the question is how much - if at all - different hearing aid mode is from what was already there. It's possibly it was already compliant but simply hadn't been certified. Or maybe it's way different, I haven't been able to find any information on any differences.
alwillis 2y ago
Here's what's new: * Air Pods 2 were approved by the FDA in September * iOS (and iPadOS) 18.1, for which the release candidate was released earlier today, comes with the ability to enable hearing aid mode and with a hearing test * based on the hearing test, the AirPods can automatically compensate how things sound to you * Apple has announced that iOS 18.1 will be released next week Details: https://www.apple.com/accessibility/hearing/ https://www.apple.com/accessibility/hearing/

by gedy 2y ago

dagmx 2y ago

You are missing that these are now cleared as hearing aids by the government.

gedy 2y ago
Well kinda in my second point but yes correct. I mentioned as I kept assuming you couldn't use these as such yet, but have been using happily for months now after I realized the functionality was all there.
mmcconnell1618 2y ago
As an approved medical device I wonder if you can buy airpods with a HSA now?
- trollbridge 2y ago
  I suspect the answer is "yes", and probably with an FSA now too. There is a similar situation with the Natural Cycles app, which is cleared by the FDA as a medical device, so you can buy it with an FSA or HSA, or have insurance pay for it - which is mandatory, since it is legally a birth control device, which they have to cover. (It is also a steal for the insurance company since it costs roughly $10 a month.) I expect that insurance plans that cover hearing aids are going to cover this eventually, as a set of AirPods Pro 2 is $249, which is substantially cheaper than other hearing aids on the market. An open question is if any other manufacturer will be able to get a device that works this well at this price point - the amount of software and chip design engineering that went into H2 and the bridgeOS or RTKitOS that the AirPods run is just not something smaller manufacturers will be able to easily copy. Now, I wish I could find a better eartips fit for my ears... XS doesn't pass in the app as having a good enough seal, and S is just a little bit uncomfortable for me for all day use.
  - mschuster91 2y ago
    > An open question is if any other manufacturer will be able to get a device that works this well at this price point - the amount of software and chip design engineering that went into H2 and the bridgeOS or RTKitOS that the AirPods run is just not something smaller manufacturers will be able to easily copy. Well, "classic" hearing aids have two features that I don't see Apple replicating any time soon: longer battery life (AirPods roughly last around 4-6 hours depending on battery degradation and usage, whereas hearing aids run for days) and most especially, support for audio induction loops [1] - basically PA systems for the impaired, you'll find these in churches, conference/meeting rooms, concert halls/stadiums and in the UK also in taxicabs. Classic hearing aids will have their place for quite the time to come. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_induction_loop https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_induction_loop
  - yunohn 2y ago
    Highly recommend giving Comply Foam tips a shot - I got them a few years ago, total game changer. I replace them approx every year, since they wear out based on your usage pattern. https://www.complyfoam.com/products/apple-airpods-pro-ear-tips https://www.complyfoam.com/products/apple-airpods-pro-ear-ti...
    - tstrimple 2y ago
      I must be particularly hard on mine, or wear them far too much. A 3 pack of comply tips will only last me six months. The foam starts to tear and flake off after a while. I'm still quite happy to replace them because the sound isolation and comfort are much better than the silicon tips.

pahkah 2y ago

Yep, the path for this official recognition was cleared by the executive order two years ago that allowed for hearing aids to be sold over the counter!

wrycoder 2y ago

Without the new software, there is no boost to external sound in transparency mode, so they are not useful as hearing aids. I’m looking forward to testing the new release.

ilt 2y ago
That’s incorrect. I have been using Airpods Pro for 7 months now for my hearing loss. They do boost sounds in transparency mode if you choose to.
pmcjones 2y ago
Actually you can set up a good approximation using iPhoneOS>Settings>Accessibility>Audio & Visual>Headphone Accommodations. Under Custom Audio Setup, you can select a audiogram, such as produced by an app like Mimi, or scanned in from your audiologist.

m463 2y ago

FDA approval means you can call them hearing aids, not just some marketing term.

grahamj 2y ago
Either way it's just a label. You've already been able to do the same thing for years. Just use the free Mimi hearing test app, save the audiogram to Health, then apply it in headphone accommodations.
- m463 2y ago
  https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/hearing-aids/otc-hearing-aids-what-you-should-know https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/hearing-aids/otc-hearing... Seems like they are regulated for safety, and there are lots of (decent) requirements.

grahamj 2y ago

Yep. I still haven't been able to determine if this "new" feature is any different from what already exists. I hope so because when you enable your audiogram for transparency it sounds like you're in an ASMR video. There's no way to make it sound natural but louder, which is what I would expect from a hearing aid.

MBCook 2y ago
The audio gram stuff existed, but wasn’t well known and as mentioned required a third party app. The hearing aid stuff was only recently certified by the FDA as an OTC hearing aid. Apple has had a mode for a many years where AirPods + iPhone could act like a hearing aid. But it didn’t meat the medical classifications.
- an_d_rew 2y ago
  Actually you have been able to import your audiogram for at least the last two versions of iOS (16+), no third-party app required. But it was simply called "an accommodation". Can't call it a hearing aid until you were approved by the FDA!
- grahamj 2y ago
  Right but the question is how much - if at all - different hearing aid mode is from what was already there. It's possibly it was already compliant but simply hadn't been certified. Or maybe it's way different, I haven't been able to find any information on any differences.

alwillis 2y ago

Here's what's new: * Air Pods 2 were approved by the FDA in September * iOS (and iPadOS) 18.1, for which the release candidate was released earlier today, comes with the ability to enable hearing aid mode and with a hearing test * based on the hearing test, the AirPods can automatically compensate how things sound to you * Apple has announced that iOS 18.1 will be released next week Details: https://www.apple.com/accessibility/hearing/ https://www.apple.com/accessibility/hearing/