Apple AirPods with built-in hearing aids

[skyactiv]

The details on it are too involved for me to type out everything here. Apple claims the AirPods Pro 2 will double as clinical grade OTC hearing aids. You can buy them now but they will require a software update coming fall of 2024 for the hearing aid feature.

 

[DemoFly]

They will probably be great but saying they are like OTC hearing aids isn't saying much. The current market for OTC hearing aids is essentially just bluetooth earbuds with some form of transparency mode. What's ironic is that we bought some Jabra earbuds that had no marketing describing them as hearing aids, but they work better as hearing aids than OTC hearing aids since they have an app that tests hearing deficiencies and boosts those frequencies. What's nice is, with software, these high end earbuds only boost those frequencies and not everything else.

So I'm excited for apple's implementation since their transparency mode is the gold standard.

 

[GMBoy]

As a hearing aid user, I have suspicions over Apple Airpods being as good as an actual hearing aid. There is more to just amplifying sounds, good hearing aids only amplify the particular frequencies you need help in and not a boost of all frequencies at the same levels.

 

[wwillson]

As a hearing aid user, I have suspicions over Apple Airpods being as good as an actual hearing aid.

Same

I am on my second pair of Wydex hearing aids. The first pair, about 2017 vintage, did a very good job of reproducing sound as the hearing aids were tuned by an Au.D. My second and current (2022) set are simply magical. You can't tell the sound is reproduced sound, as you slightly could with the first set. The room, conversation, and music sound just as they should. I would be interested in trying Airpods as hearing aids to see how they compare, but you won't catch me with those things hanging out of my ears.

 

[AZjeff]

but you won't catch me with those things hanging out of my ears.

All the cool kids have them. Hard to imagine OTC aids give the same level of hearing correction as properly fitted and adjusted aids.

 

[wwillson]

All the cool kids have them.

That why I don't have them.

Hard to imagine OTC aids give the same level of hearing correction as properly fitted and adjusted aids.

They simply don't.

 

[Vercingetorix]

Look at what phone cameras have done to real camera sales. Real cameras are still better, and they aren’t selling like they used to. I have no doubt the same will happen to hearing aids. Being better does not guarantee continued success.

 

[ripcord]

Look at what phone cameras have done to real camera sales. Real cameras are still better, and they aren’t selling like they used to. I have no doubt the same will happen to hearing aids. Being better does not guarantee continued success.

Well... I'm not sure. There are a lot of people with pretty severe hearing loss like my dad who had dramatically different results with different types of hearing aids.

 

[DemoFly]

Look at what phone cameras have done to real camera sales. Real cameras are still better, and they aren’t selling like they used to. I have no doubt the same will happen to hearing aids. Being better does not guarantee continued success.

Kind of irrelevant. The technology in an airpod is already superior to hearing aids, they just haven't been adapted in this way before. This will cause a market shift. Others will copy, and hopefully all the options get better and more affordable as a result.

 

[97prizm]

The details on it are too involved for me to type out everything here. Apple claims the AirPods Pro 2 will double as clinical grade OTC hearing aids. You can buy them now but they will require a software update coming fall of 2024 for the hearing aid feature.

Not even close when you consider all that goes into hearing aids. There's in-ear, and over the ear that have a small speaker that feeds sound into the ear. I have noise cancelling sonos brand that recharge in a dock. When my hearing aids were set-up my audiologist used software to dial in the frequencies, and volume that I needed. No junky (Aren't they made by Beats?) Airpods will or can ever come close to real hearing aids. This is a joke and Is no better than Tesla claiming "Full self driving." Apple should be sued for trying to market mediocre ear buds at best as a hearing aid.

 

[Snagglefoot]

Modern high end hearing aids come with Bluetooth. Music and telephone calls are channelled from the smartphone wirelessly directly to the hearing aids.

 

[shortyb]

Interesting concept and more marketing "genius" from the Big A folks because it seems EVERYONE is using Airpods. But that marketing is just that. Sure it COULD double as a hearing aid, and with software COULD attenuate some frequencies, but it will not come close to a truly focused hearing aid that is tailored and fitted for YOUR specific needs. My audiologist spent quite a long time identifying and attenuating sound levels for my deficient frequencies, which are mostly in the spoken word range and very high up. Fitting a hearing aid specifically for me was no small task and nothing that could be duplicated OTC by Apple. Age and years of exposure to loud noise had made my second most used word "huh?"

 

[skyactiv]

I can see these confusing some law enforcement officers. I’m all for anything that can improve the quality of life for someone and hopefully these will exceed expectations.

 

[cptbarkey]

One problem I see is battery life before a recharge. I'm a long term Airpod Pro user and it lasts maybe 4 hours before left or right gets tired. My dad had to change his little disc batteries much less frequently. Maybe Apple will get a few sales, but like the Apple Watch which also has PATHETIC battery life I dont forsee a blowout sales opportunity here.

 

[Urshurak776]

As a hearing aid user from my time in the military, this would be cool. My current hearing aids are like $5K, so I would love to see how these would work. To be honest, I don't expect much.

 

[alarmguy]

The details on it are too involved for me to type out everything here. Apple claims the AirPods Pro 2 will double as clinical grade OTC hearing aids. You can buy them now but they will require a software update coming fall of 2024 for the hearing aid feature.

Yes, they are awaiting FDA approval or being sanctioned as a useful hearing device (lack of better words)
Much like they did with their ECG app.
Apple is good like that, when it comes to medical they will look for the FDA to "endorse" it for that advertised purpose. (again, lack of better words)
It does bring Apple to a higher level of creditability than much the way some of this stuff is marketed.

 

[alarmguy]

Look at what phone cameras have done to real camera sales. Real cameras are still better, and they aren’t selling like they used to. I have no doubt the same will happen to hearing aids. Being better does not guarantee continued success.

Even more so when much of the public cannot afford (or want) to spend up to thousands of dollars for professionally fitted hearing aids.
BTW- well known companies around the world are now selling over the counter hearing aids. Apple is now going to be another. I can see one use for those borderline hearing loss.
Watching TV with someone hearing challenged you will no longer have to blast the TV and it will make it more enjoyable for everyone.
There are so many uses for these devices they will be used for this purpose. Not everyone is a blanket case for aids costing high hundred to thousands.

 

[alarmguy]

As a hearing aid user from my time in the military, this would be cool. My current hearing aids are like $5K, so I would love to see how these would work. To be honest, I don't expect much.

Not sure if that would be a fair comparison BUT it will be better than nothing.
Ps Thank you for your service of which I always hold the highest regard for our service people.

 

[alarmguy]

Not even close when you consider all that goes into hearing aids. There's in-ear, and over the ear that have a small speaker that feeds sound into the ear. I have noise cancelling sonos brand that recharge in a dock. When my hearing aids were set-up my audiologist used software to dial in the frequencies, and volume that I needed. No junky (Aren't they made by Beats?) Airpods will or can ever come close to real hearing aids. This is a joke and Is no better than Tesla claiming "Full self driving." Apple should be sued for trying to market mediocre ear buds at best as a hearing aid.

I think your a little behind the times on this. That cat has been out of the bag for a long time. Dozens of companies make them but one company APPLE, for sure will actually get FDA clearance.

https://www.aarphearingsolutions.co...aring aids&utm_content=OTC Research&gclsrc=ds

https://www.wired.com/gallery/best-over-the-counter-hearing-aids/

https://www.consumerreports.org/hea...to-over-the-counter-hearing-aids-a3898239010/

and if you do a search you will find dozens of sites.

 

[Vercingetorix]

Make no mistake, Apple could buy up any hearing aid company it wants. Probably with the cash it has on hand. Correction the biggest hearing aide maker Oticon, is owned by Demant. Demant has a market cap of 63 Billion. Apple cash is 62 ish billion.