Apple announced that this fall, it will offer an upgrade for AirPods Pro 2 users, allowing them to take a clinical-level hearing test, effectively making the AirPods Pro 2 approved over-the-counter hearing aids.
According to the US Food and Drug Administration, close to 30 million US adults have some hearing loss, but only about one-fifth of those people seek assistance for the issue.
People currently need to visit an audiologist for a hearing test to determine if they need a hearing aid.
Hearing aids have traditionally been expensive, and a mid-level hearing aid in Canada may be on the order of $1500–$2000 each after the provincial assistance.
Apple’s AirPod Pro 2 is priced around $250.
That’s important not only because of the lower cost, but also due to the historical stigma associated with hearing aids that deters some who need hearing assistance from seeking them out.
Millions of people already wear AirPods, finding them stylish and widely accepted for music, audiobooks, podcasts, and more. Adding the hearing aid feature is indistinguishable from these uses.
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