Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 as hearing aids are ‘incredibly clear’

The first-of-its-kind, software-based Hearing Aid feature helps make access to hearing assistance easier than ever.
The Wall Street Journal’s Nicole Nguyen got early access to Apple’s new clinical-grade hearing test and hearing-aid capability for AirPods Pro 2. Apple will release the features next week through a free software update. They require the $249 second-generation AirPods Pro and an iPhone or iPad running iOS or iPad OS 18.1.
Nicole Nguyen for The Wall Street Journal:
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Beth Yauman thought her car’s turn signals had stopped making sounds years ago. They worked — she just couldn’t hear them. With AirPods Pro now in her ears, the clicking is back… Since I don’t have hearing issues, I also got a pair [of Apple’s AirPods Pro 2] for Yauman, who has mild hearing loss.
After connecting the AirPods Pro to an iPhone, an AirPods menu appeared in the Settings app. That’s where Apple’s new features—called Hearing Test, Hearing Aid and Hearing Protection—live. She tapped “Take a Hearing Test.” … After about five minutes, Yauman got her results: mild hearing loss. The software offered the option to set up the AirPods as hearing aids, and warned her that it can take a few weeks to get used to the new sound. (You can also upload an audiogram from your doctor to tune the Hearing Aid feature.)
Yauman immediately heard a difference. For a real-world test, we headed to a trendy restaurant. She marveled at how “incredibly clear” the AirPods sounded. She noted the thwap from her son’s flip-flops, the clang of dishes and the thumping background music… The awkward part, for her, was wearing AirPods in a restaurant. People might assume she is on the phone or listening to music, not open for conversation.

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MacDailyNews Take: In September, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized Apple’s hearing aid feature as the “first over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aid software device.” This new hearing aid feature will sell boatloads of AirPods Pro 2 units!

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