Tech giant Apple, which introduced all-in-one hearing health experience with AirPods Pro 2 at its ‘It’s Glowtime’ event, has said that its latest flagship wireless earbuds can be used as “clinical-grade” hearing aids.
According to the company, the AirPods Pro add an innovative, over-the-counter Hearing Aid capability for users with mild to moderate hearing loss.
“Using the personalised hearing profile from the Hearing Test, this new feature seamlessly transforms AirPods Pro into a clinical-grade hearing aid,” Apple said.
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“After setup, the feature enables personalised dynamic adjustments so users have the sounds around them boosted in real-time. This helps users better engage in conversation and keeps them connected to the people and environment around them,” it added.
Users can set up the Hearing Aid feature with an audiogram created by a hearing health professional. Both the Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features are based on science and have been validated through rigorous scientific studies, the company mentioned.
“Hearing health is an essential part of our overall well-being, yet it can often be overlooked – in fact, according to the Apple Hearing Study, a staggering 75 per cent of people diagnosed with hearing loss go untreated,” said Sumbul Desai, MD, Apple’s vice president of Health.
“We’re thrilled to provide breakthrough software features with AirPods Pro that put users’ hearing health front and centre, bringing new ways to help test for and receive assistance for hearing loss,” she added.
Both the features – Hearing Test and Hearing, are expected to receive marketing authorisation from global health authorities soon and will be available this fall in more than 100 countries and regions, including the US, Germany, and Japan, according to the company.
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Moreover, the tech giant stated that after taking the Hearing Test, users can use their hearing profile to personalise the AirPods Pro listening experience. This benefits even more people, including those with little to no hearing loss, who can take advantage of specific adjustments at individual frequencies.
To help provide the best listening experience, “Media Assist is an all-new feature that helps boost certain parts of speech on a phone call or instruments within a soundtrack to help an even broader population”.
AirPods Pro 2 are available for purchase at Rs 24,900 from apple.com/store/in and in the Apple Store app.
At the event, Apple also announced a groundbreaking new lineup of AirPods models – AirPods 4, AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), and AirPods Max.
AirPods Max comes available in midnight, starlight, blue, purple, and orange, and offers USB-C charging for more convenience.
AirPods 4 and AirPods Max are now available to pre-order, with availability in stores beginning September 20. Customers can pre-order AirPods 4 for Rs 12,900, AirPods 4 with ANC for Rs 17,900, and AirPods Max with USB-C charging for Rs 59,900 from apple.com/store/in and in the Apple Store app in the US and more than 58 other countries and regions.