American press got a chance to try out the AirPods Pro 2’s hearing aid functionality. The latter aims to offer users prostheses, which are more visible than traditional devices, to better hear the world around them while protecting their hearing.
In total, three features are included. The first is called Protection Auditand limits the effects of loud ambient noise on users’ hearing, while “preserving the acoustic signature of what they hear”.
We are then entitled to a hearing test function leveraging a clinical standard: pure tonal audiometry. To do this, you only need headphones and an iPhone or iPad to get the result, which can be exchanged with an expert.
“The software plays multiple sounds at different volumes and frequencies”Nicole Nguyen reports for The Wall Street Journal. The user then only has to tap the screen when they hear the sound to continue the test. After receiving the results, AirPods Pro 2 turns into a hearing aid, adjusting the sound level according to the user’s needs.
Apple underlines in passing. “That sometimes it takes a few weeks to get used to a new sound.”. Note that 74-year-old Beth Yeoman got results similar to her doctor’s, which illustrates the validity of the system developed by Apple.
The final function is obviously the hearing aid as a result of the test. It is user-friendly. “Mild to Moderate Hearing Loss”Apple reports. As soon as it is activated, it allows you to appreciate. “Personal dynamic adjustments so users experience augmented sounds around them in real time”.
Note, this AirPods Pro 2 hearing aid will come with iOS 18.1 and headphone update next week. However, only people living in the United States and Canada will be entitled to it at the moment, explain the release notes for the version. Candidates for release of the next iPhone update.