Apple gets Aussie approval for AirPods Pro 2 as Hearing Aids
The AirPods Pro 2 were released two years ago, and now thanks to a software update can be used to conduct a Medically Certified hearing test using an iPhone, and if needed the AirPods themselves can then be configured to work as Hearing Aids for those in need of hearing assistance.
Each country’s medicines regulator has been required to approve the use of Apple’s hearing aid and hearing test technology, which is embedded in the AirPods Pro 2 and software updates which have sporadically been released around the world.The AirPods Pro will store the audiogram in the Apple Health app, complete with classifications and recommendations, and has been built from real-world data to define hearing loss in each ear, and cite whether a hearing aid will help.
That’s important, because the addition will add a Hearing Aid feature for AirPods Pro owners with mild to moderate hearing loss. The feature will take point from the profile made from the Apple hearing test, providing personalised adjustments to sounds delivered when the AirPods Pro are running as a hearing aid.
An Apple spokesperson told 9News, “Receiving product approval from the TGA on our Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features on AirPods Pro 2 is an important first step toward making these features available in Australia. We are working through the other necessary steps to make these experiences available as soon as possible.”
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The most recent TGA application from Apple relates to heart tracking with Afib, a feature found in the Apple Watch, while other recent hearing aid applications have been made more recently. This could suggest Apple’s release of hearing features could be on the cards for Australia, though may not be as immediate as the rest of the world.
At $399 or less, the Apple AirPods Pro 2 would be among the most affordable way to get the benefits of hearing aids in Australia although other similar products do exist on the market the most common hearing aids are priced in the thousands and require the use of dedicated hearing health centers.