Apple announced during last week’s GlowTime event that iOS 18 will allow users with mild to moderate hearing loss to use AirPods as hearing aids. The FDA approved this new feature just a couple of days later, calling it the first “over-the-counter hearing aid software.” This approval is seen as a step forward in making hearing support more available and accessible to adults with mild to moderate hearing loss.
TechCrunch’s Brian Heater tested out a preliminary version of the feature last week. It will only work with the latest premium AirPods, the AirPods Pro 2, as it utilizes the Pro’s passive noise cancellation and the H2 chip. Today on TechCrunch Minute, we will look into how Apple’s hearing test functions and how the market for hearing aids is evolving.
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