What happened
The Food and Drug Administration yesterday approved software for Apple's AirPods Pro 2 headphones that turns the earbuds into over-the-counter hearing aids. Apple said Monday that its new AirPods Pro would have the hearing aid feature, allowing users to test their hearing and calibrate their sound levels through the Apple Health app.
Who said what
The FDA approved its first OTC hearing aids in 2022 for people with mild to moderate hearing impairment, but this is the agency's first approval of hearing aid software under its new authority, Reuters said. Even mild hearing loss can cause people to "lose some quality of life by isolating themselves from their community," Jackie Clark, an audiology professor at University of Texas at Dallas, said to The Washington Post. The $249 AirPods Pro earbuds could offer a "bridge for hard-of-hearing consumers" to reclaim their "world of sound."
"Many brands have tried to push their way into the OTC hearing aid market," IDC analyst Jitesh Ubrani said to the Post, but with 19.2% of the global headphone market share, "Apple could potentially have a lasting impact," especially in the "40-plus" age group.
What next?
Apple said it will push out the hearing aid software update in coming weeks to eligible devices in more than 100 countries and regions.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
How will China’s $1 trillion trade surplus change the world economy?Today’s Big Question Europe may impose its own tariffs
-
‘Autarky and nostalgia aren’t cure-alls’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Japan’s Princess Aiko is a national star. Her fans want even more.IN THE SPOTLIGHT Fresh off her first solo state visit to Laos, Princess Aiko has become the face of a Japanese royal family facing 21st-century obsolescence
-
Australia’s teen social media ban takes effectSpeed Read Kids under age 16 are now barred from platforms including YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and Reddit
-
Texts from a scammerFeature If you get a puzzling text message from a stranger, you may be the target of ‘pig butchering.’
-
X update unveils foreign MAGA boostersSpeed Read The accounts were located in Russia and Nigeria, among other countries
-
Is Apple’s Tim Cook about to retire?Today's Big Question A departure could come early next year
-
‘Deskilling’: a dangerous side effect of AI useThe explainer Workers are increasingly reliant on the new technology
-
AI models may be developing a ‘survival drive’Under the radar Chatbots are refusing to shut down
-
Wikipedia: Is ‘neutrality’ still possible?Feature Wikipedia struggles to stay neutral as conservatives accuse the site of being left-leaning
-
AI workslop is muddying the American workplaceThe explainer Using AI may create more work for others
