At its Glowtime event earlier this week, Apple made a somewhat surprising announcement. And that is, the AirPods Pro 2 can work as hearing aids. The AirPods Pro 2 cost $249, while many other hearing aids cost thousands of dollars, averaging around $3,000. So Apple just destroyed the Hearing Aid market, and is making it much easier to get a hearing aid, as well as take a test to see if you need a hearing aid.
The AirPods Pro 2 will now be able to double as a medical device that doctors and hearing experts say could be a game changer. It addresses a lot of problems that often deter Americans from getting a hearing aid. Mostly the stigma and the cost. AirPods Pro 2 are something that seemingly everyone has in their ears all the time, and they are also much cheaper than a hearing aid. Not to mention, can be used for more than just aiding your hearing.
Back in 2022, the Trump Administration quietly made a change, allowing Americans to buy hearing aids over-the-counter instead of needing to get one issued by a physician. This is allowing Apple to make this available through the AirPods Pro 2.
AirPods Pro 2 are not yet approved by the FDA for a hearing aid
It’s not quite ready, as Apple does still need to get FDA approval. However, those who were in Cupertino for the iPhone event this week did talk about how easy the hearing test is to do. And questioned some users’ hearing capabilities.
Experts say that the new functionality could make a major difference, as nearly 1.5 billion people worldwide suffer from hearing loss.
While the AirPods Pro 2 working as hearing aids could get rid of the stigma of having a hearing aid, it could also work in the opposite direction. These days, if you see someone with AirPods or other earbuds in their ears, you likely won’t talk to them unless you have to. That’s because they likely can’t hear you. So that’s another stigma that Apple will need to work on changing.
Many do believe that Tim Cook made this feature available to get rid of that stigma of “He has AirPods in, he can’t hear you” when it could be the complete opposite.
Battery life could be a problem
One of the downsides to using the AirPods Pro 2 as hearing aids would be the battery life. Battery life on the AirPods Pro 2 are pretty good for earbuds, but not so great for hearing aids. Especialy considering hearing aids typically have batteries that last days, whereas the AirPods Pro 2 are measured in hours. However, the AirPods Pro 2 do charge pretty quickly in the case, and also have USB-C included. Making it easier than ever to charge them.
Despite the subpar battery life, for hearing aids, AirPods Pro 2 could become the most popular pair of hearing aids on the market. Millions of people have them already, and they are also a fraction of the price of most other hearing aids on the market.
2024-09-13 15:09:22