Apple integrates an innovative hearing aid solution into its AirPods Pro 2

Extremely dense in terms of audio novelties with an update of the AirPods Max and two new pairs ofAirPods 4Apple's keynote was also placed under the sign of hearing health.

Starting this fall, AirPods Pro 2 will transform into all-in-one hearing aids thanks to an exclusive update. To develop it, the fruity brand started from the premise that approximately 1.5 billion people worldwide suffered from hearing loss. The idea was therefore to offer a solution that brought together several hearing assistance technologies with the role of improving their daily lives.

High-tech earplugs

Within this new solution, we can first of all count on hearing protection technology. It intervenes in a preventive framework, at a time when each of us is exposed to sudden or continuous noise pollution reaching potentially dangerous decibel levels.

Paired with the AirPods Pro 2's noise-isolating eartips, the H2 chip is able to actively reduce loud noises without distorting surrounding sounds. Very practical for attenuating loud applause or the roar of a lawnmower, this function was already offered by Apple.

Thanks to a “new high dynamic range algorithm”the update planned for this fall would now allow you to follow concerts at a moderate sound level without altering the music played in live. If this feature proves effective, it would transform the AirPods Pro 2 into luxury earplugs dedicated to music lovers.

Adaptive hearing aid function and hearing test at your fingertips

The AirPods 2 Pro update also includes a clinically approved hearing aid. The surrounding sounds captured by the earphones' microphones are automatically adjusted according to the user's previously established hearing profile. This means that people with mild to moderate hearing loss will benefit from amplified sounds to better understand their environment. According to Cupertino, the profile created will also be “automatically applied for music, movies and phone calls”.

Although a sound equalization system adapted to hearing has already been tested by Jabra, in particular, Apple's would evolve according to hearing fluctuations or potential deterioration. In addition, Tim Cook's firm allows the user's hearing profile to be finely adjusted on certain frequencies or to manually enter data from an audiogram carried out by a health professional.

In addition, it will be possible to test your hearing at any time from a compatible iPhone or iPad. This tonal audiometry can be carried out in a few minutes in a quiet place and provides an overview of hearing abilities. A practical function to reassure yourself when needed and avoid overloading the waiting rooms of ENT specialists, which are already difficult to access.

Moderate hearing problems are often overlooked because they are incurable and misunderstood by those around them, and can be very uncomfortable. The AirPods Pro 2 could therefore help those affected. While they can be an excellent complement to traditional hearing aids, which are often expensive and have a design reminiscent of medical devices, they will not replace them.

Apple isn't the first audio manufacturer to jump into this market. In addition to Sennheiser and its Conversation Plus, Sony recently released the CRE-C20, a pair of hearing aids that look like ultra-sophisticated, but also extremely expensive, wireless earbuds.

Regardless, by adding a complete and intuitive hearing aid into one of its mainstream consumer products, Apple has the potential to improve the comfort of life for many people.