Apple unveiled its new iPhone last night to its usual fanfare, along with a nifty new feature for its already-on-the-market headphones.
A software update to the company’s £229 AirPods Pro 2, first launched in 2022, will allow users to use them as a clinical-grade hearing aid.
The feature boosts specific sounds in real time without delay, such as another person’s speech or ambient noises like traffic.
Apple hopes to shake up the market for headphones, which typically cost £400 or more.
It will be available as part of iOS 18, Apple’s new software update arriving later this month.
The hearing aid feature will be available later this month as part of iOS 18, Apple’s new operating system.
According to Apple, one in three people are regularly exposed to high levels of environmental noise that can affect hearing, while three-quarters of those diagnosed with hearing loss receive no treatment.
The tech giant hopes its new hearing aid capability for the AirPods Pro 2 will aim to raise awareness and prevention of hearing loss.
“Hearing health is an essential, yet often overlooked, part of our overall well-being,” said Sumbul Desai, Apple’s vice president of Health.
“We’re excited to offer innovative software features with AirPods Pro that put users’ hearing health first and provide new ways to help detect and support hearing loss.”
With the new software update, users will first be able to take a “scientifically validated” hearing test to first see if they actually need the hearing aid feature.
‘A clinical-grade hearing aid’: Health update coming to AirPods Pro 2, first released in 2022
First, a hearing test involves users touching the screen as they listen to a variety of sounds at different volumes and frequencies.
The test involves users tapping the screen of a paired iPhone while listening to a variety of sounds at different volumes and frequencies through their AirPods.
When a user completes the test, they will see a summary of the results in the Health app on their device.
Users can also share the results with their healthcare providers to have “more informed conversations” about their hearing, according to Apple.
Using the results of the hearing test, the new feature transforms AirPods Pro into a hearing aid by amplifying surrounding sounds in real time.
“This helps users better engage in conversations and keeps them connected to the people and environment around them,” Apple said in a statement.
Apple says: ‘AirPods Pro add clinical-grade, over-the-counter hearing aid capability for users with mild to moderate hearing loss’
Adjustments to music, movies, games, and phone calls will also be made on an iPhone, without users needing to change any settings.
The hearing aid and hearing test have not yet received marketing authorization from global health authorities, but Apple said this should happen “soon.”
Apple has also announced the £129 AirPods 4, its latest earbuds in its standard AirPods line, which are cheaper than the existing AirPods Pro line.
AirPods 4 include noise cancellation capabilities and “the most advanced audio experience,” but not the new hearing feature.
Apple also unveiled a new edition of its smartwatch that will tell users if they have sleep apnea, a disorder in which breathing stops and starts during sleep.
The AirPods Pro 2 will feature noise-cancelling technology to provide hearing protection, and the devices will also be able to perform a clinical hearing test in just five minutes to check the hearing health of their user.
The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus were the first two smartphones unveiled at the event, with Apple saying they “mark the dawn of a new era for iPhone.”
Detects small movements in the wrist associated with interruptions in normal breathing patterns during sleep.
But Apple’s biggest announcement of the day was the iPhone 16, which comes with a new camera button and new AI capabilities.
The iPhone 16, which starts at $799/£799, comes in two sizes: 6.1 inches and 6.7 inches for the Plus model.
The phones are powered by new A18 chips, which feature a 16-core Neural Engine designed for generative tasks related to AI and Apple Intelligence.
