During its much anticipated “Glowtime” event hosted last month at the company’s Cupertino, California headquarters, Apple announced several hearing health features for the AirPods Pro 2. Describing its latest innovation in a corporate media release as an “all-in-one hearing health experience,” the tech giant is undoubtedly breaking new ground when it comes to the meshing of relatively high-end wearable medical devices and consumer electronics.
Firstly, when pairing the AirPods Pro 2 with a compatible iPhone or iPad users will be able to take an industry standard-setting, scientifically validated hearing test allowing them to check their hearing health within minutes. Upon completion of the test, users are provided with a personalized hearing profile for AirPods Pro which will be stored in the Health app but can also be shared with audiologists.
This personalized data from the hearing test can then be used to transform the AirPods Pro 2 into a clinical-grade hearing aid providing individually tailored amplification for a host of different scenarios including face-to-face conversations, phone calls, movies, games and music. The new hearing health features are expected to roll out this fall as part of the iOS 18 software update.
Apple’s new hearing health features are only indicated for individuals with mild to moderate hearing loss, rather than those at the more severe end of the spectrum. However, this technology, and the way it has been neatly and accessibly packaged together, holds the promise of truly democratizing hearing health by putting a customized clinical-grade hearing aid directly into the hands, or, more accurately, the ear holes of the consumer mass market.
This innovation can also be viewed in the context of the soon-to-arrive second anniversary of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration greenlighting the sale of over-the-counter hearing aids with no medical prescription required for those with mild to moderate hearing loss. A 2017 study predicted that by 2060 hearing loss is likely to impact a staggering 73.5 million people aged 20 and over in the U.S. alone.
An entry-level option
Dr. Katie Keese is Director of Audiology at Jabra Hearing which is owned by Denmark-based hearing aid industry giant GN.
“There have been whispers about Apple entering the hearing aid space for a while and I’m excited that they’re here,” she says during an interview.
“When these huge companies get involved, it can do a tremendous amount to raise awareness for people who might not have ever thought about their hearing health. I think that the AirPods will turn out to be almost like a gateway hearing aid option. Soon millions of people that would never otherwise have set foot in an audiologist’s office are going to have access to a feature that will allow them to test their hearing.”
It’s a viewpoint echoed by Blake Cadwell CEO of online hearing aid marketplace Soundly who emphasizes the visibility Apple’s market entry will bring to this area of healthcare.
“For many people, the AirPods will be a great taster of what hearing amplification is really like,” Cadwell says.
“As a hearing aid user myself, I can remember the shift in mindset I had after I experienced amplification for the first time. Suddenly, I understood what I had been missing. For people at the very beginning of their hearing loss journey who might have just this one thing that they’re finding tough like watching TV, I think this buys them time before exploring other options. Accessible hearing health is just going to be in a lot more people’s pockets than ever before. It’s a big moment of maturity for the category.”
However, Cadwell remains unconvinced that the AirPods will become ubiquitous hearing loss solutions any time soon.
“I still feel the social barriers to wearing AirPods to a work meeting or to a dinner with friends are relatively high,” says Cadwell.
“It’s unrealistic to think that most people will just start to continuously wear their AirPods as they’re going about their day.”
Small is beautiful
This is about more than just confusing one’s interlocutor as to whether you are truly listening to them or just your favorite podcast.
It’s also because there has been a big shift in the hearing aid industry from both a technological and marketing perspective towards tiny virtually invisible devices that can go unnoticed by others but still bestow upon the wearer advanced hearing capabilities.
This can perhaps be best seen, or not as the case may be, in GN Hearing’s The New Norm campaign from earlier this year which highlights the slim design and ultra wearability of today’s hearing aids. The campaign features a series of photos by LA-based photographer and hearing aid-wearer Gala Ricote some of which require a certain degree of squinting and head twisting to even spot the hearing aid.
It’s a perspective well-recognized by Keese whose own company Jabra Hearing launched the Jabra Enhance Select 500 hearing aid in May of this year – it’s smallest over-the-counter model to date.
“Today, there’s definitely a trend towards making hearing aids smaller and sleeker whilst still packing in as much technology as possible in a tiny device,” explains Keese.
“Unfortunately, there’s always been a stigma around hearing aids that people feel identifies them as needing help. The OTC market is helping break down that stigma by making things more like an earbud style or a behind-the-ear device.”
Whatever the long-term traction brought about by Apple’s recent market entry one other feature of the rapidly developing OTC hearing aid market is certainly worth a mention. This entire assistive technology sector is a triumph of universal codesign. Major hearing aid manufacturers like Sonova and WS Audiology are buying out or teaming up with audio giants such as Sennheiser and Sony respectively to produce recognizable OTC offerings.
Other assistive technology sectors would do well to follow suit. Imagine if the next generation of low-vision eyewear engineers could collaborate with Apple’s Vision Pro team or those delivering Meta’s Quest headsets. What if those designing robotic exoskeletons for the mobility impaired could work directly alongside those approaching those same devices for their industrial and military applications? In such a way, Apple’s foray into the hearing aid market could prove to be a valuable blueprint for the mainstreaming of the type of assistive technology that anybody might need someday.
link