FDA Approves Apple AirPods As Hearing Aids 39
The FDA on Thursday approved the first hearing aid software for Apple's latest AirPods Pro earbuds. According to Apple, the feature will be pushed to eligible devices through a software update in the coming weeks. The Washington Post reports: The move, which comes two years after the FDA first approved over-the-counter hearing aids, could help more Americans with hearing loss start getting help, the FDA said in a statement. The feature works by amplifying some sounds, such as voices, while minimizing others, such as ambient noise. Users can take a hearing test in the Apple Health app, and their AirPods will adjust sound level automatically based on the results. The feature is only available on the AirPods Pro 2, which cost $249.
The FDA says it tested Apple's hearing aid feature in a clinical study with 118 subjects who believed they had mild or moderate hearing loss. The study found that people who set up their AirPods using Apple's hearing test noticed similar benefits as people who had a professional set up the earbuds. Over-the-counter hearing aids are best for people with mild to moderate hearing loss, audiologists say, many of whom don't seek treatment. [...] However, consumer earbuds aren't a good solution for people with severe hearing loss, experts maintain, and most over-the-counter hearing devices will still require a trip to the audiologist for some fine tuning.
The FDA says it tested Apple's hearing aid feature in a clinical study with 118 subjects who believed they had mild or moderate hearing loss. The study found that people who set up their AirPods using Apple's hearing test noticed similar benefits as people who had a professional set up the earbuds. Over-the-counter hearing aids are best for people with mild to moderate hearing loss, audiologists say, many of whom don't seek treatment. [...] However, consumer earbuds aren't a good solution for people with severe hearing loss, experts maintain, and most over-the-counter hearing devices will still require a trip to the audiologist for some fine tuning.
Canadians (Score:2)
Re: Canadians (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
How does a Canadian spell Canada?
C eh, A eh N eh, A eh, D eh, A eh?
Re: (Score:2)
Oh hey dere bud, you're fucking that joke up pretty bad, eh? It actually goes 'C, eh? N, eh? D, eh?'
Sorry, eh.
Re: (Score:2)
Seems really good (Score:5, Informative)
Just from what I saw in the announcement video, this seems really useful.
After you run the analysis screen it factors in how much each ear can hear, and then adjusts the balance of both ambient sounds and music. And furthermore using the same technology that can let voice through over background sounds in a noise reduction mode, can enhance how voices sound over the environment.
I have some relatives that use commercial hearing aids, I plan to buy one of these for them and have them try it out to see how well it works. They have almost complete hearing loss in one ear so it'll be interesting to see how it fares, or if it's any better than the rather expensive hearing aids they have.
Re: (Score:2)
I'm sorry to say but these are only designed for mild to moderate hearing loss. I'm not sure they'll help with your relative's more severe hearing loss.
I agree, but worth trying. (Score:1)
I'm sorry to say but these are only designed for mild to moderate hearing loss. I'm not sure they'll help with your relative's more severe hearing loss.
I agree, her healing loss is pretty severe so I'm not sure it will be better (or even equal) to professional hearing aids.
But that's why I want to test it, to see if it gets even close, or if more advanced audio processing it does can be better in some way - that's the dark horse that may actually make it better, if it can measure and correct lost frequencie
This will be an interesting experiment (Score:4, Interesting)
We will now have people who are hard of hearing appear to others as if they are listening to music and not those around them.
I envision the person using them asking someone to repeat themselves and said person get annoyed, thinking they're just being rude and not turning their music down.
On the flipside, you'll have people using that as an excuse as to why they need their AirPods and all the time regardless of their ability to hear.
One final thing is there is a long way to go before they can be considered a true replacement ( battery life and the ability to fit securely in one's ear, etc.)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
They're not meant to be one-size-fits-all, that's why they include multiple sizes of tips, and include a fitment check in the software. There are also foam tips that can provide a tighter seal than the included silicone tips.
Likely to require an iPhone (Score:5, Informative)
Re: (Score:1)
You were surprised by this? It IS Apple after all, nothing comes as a standalone product.
So how much noise reduction? (Score:2)
The specs say it exists, but not a db rating. It should be listed like this.
"They have a noise reduction rating (SNR) of 24 decibels, NRR of 14..."
Re:So how much noise reduction? (Score:4, Informative)
Active noise cancellation doesn't get an NRR rating since it doesn't work in that way. It can for example almost completely eliminate a recurring tone while utterly failing to dampen the sound of an impulse (e.g. gunshot) in the slightest. Any NRR number you get wouldn't be reflective of e.g. a similar NRR number used for actual hearing protection.
I’m a bit surprised (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
Latency for playing sounds or latency of the noise cancellation? I assume this task does not require a connection to an adjacent phone. So long as the work is being done within the airpods, latency should be comparable to hearing aids.
Re:I’m a bit surprised (Score:5, Informative)
So, Conversation Boost is (from airpods perspective) basically a negative amount of noise cancellation. Noise cancellation obviously requires extremely low latency and doesn't / can't go over bluetooth to the phone.
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
The 120ms is basically Bluetooth delay. All bluetooth audio devices have it.
AirPods have built in microphones so I expect the real delay to be much lower since it's going to be processed locally and not require a phone.
And this would be interesting, since real hearing aids are like $5000, and if you want Bluetooth, here's a gigantic ugly box for $500. AirPods are well under $500 and do the same thing. I can't imagine
Re: (Score:2)
My dude, you know how I know you haven't actually bought hearing aids?
Mid level hearing aids are maybe 1500 bucks, Canadian, and have had bluetooth built into the (very slim) behind the ear component for years.
Love, a guy that uses hearing aids. I love the idea of finally being able to use in-ear buds with hearing aid features, but they're likely not going to replace completely my actual hearing aids, if for no other reason than my aids will run for days on a tiny fuel cell battery, which can be replaced i
So much for the conspiracy theories (Score:2, Troll)
The comment on the previous story didn't age very well https://science.slashdot.org/c... [slashdot.org] apparently some cartel of hearing aid manufacturers would use their bought and paid for corrupt FDA to prevent Apple from getting approval.
I'm shocked that yet another up-voted conspiracy nutbag on Slashdot was wrong. Shocked I tell you!
Re: (Score:1)
Well, there was fair evidence of that happening some years back, but the conspiracy angle on this one has gotten somewhat stale. As I understand it, the government stepped in maybe about 5-10 years back and started forcing them to let anyone sell hearing aids around the time when they stopped forcing you to have a prescription for them.
Butis it covered (Score:2)
by your insurance?
Medicare doesn't cover hearing aids
Re: (Score:2)
by your insurance?
Medicare doesn't cover hearing aids
On August 30, 2017, Harris announced at a town hall [wikipedia.org] in Oakland that she would co-sponsor Senator Bernie Sanders's "Medicare for All" bill, supporting single-payer healthcare, which was met with record support in Congress. In May 2023 Senator Bernie Sanders reintroduced the "Medicare for All" bill.
Re: (Score:2)
I know, right! The equipment is so expensive that it requires insurance to pay for it!
Re: (Score:2)
I'm not sure there's a market for this. Android users generally choose Android because they do *not* want Apple products.
There are plenty of hearing aid options for Android users, that aren't made by Apple. https://www.hearingtracker.com... [hearingtracker.com]
Re: Will it be supported on Android? (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
I don't follow. How does this indicate poor marketing?
Apple offers an expensive, premium product. Android offers more affordable options. Marketing to people who don't want to pay for a premium product is not, as far as I can see, poor marketing.
You are clearly not a typical customer, as evidenced by the fact that pure Linux phones have a market share far less than 1%.
Apple is also an advertising company, they just don't want you to think so. https://www.fool.com/investing... [fool.com]
Re: Will it be supported on Android? (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Most of us understand that "not being Apple" is shorthand for "not paying the Apple tax/premium." Yes, of course there are expensive Samsung smartphones, but literally *everything* else in the Android ecosystem is cheaper.
You are giving Apple way too much deference. Apple isn't "just" earning marketing revenue because Google pays for positioning. Apple itself has an advertising platform. https://www.emarketer.com/cont... [emarketer.com] They're nowhere near as big as Google, but they're expanding that business.
As for Linux
Re: (Score:2)
Pretty sure the short answer is no.
Will it start being used as a superpower (Score:2)
I think there's an interesting question about whether this feature, and others like it, will start being used to augment human capabilities that are already in the normal range, to do things we could not normally do, like have a conversation in a really noisy environment (eg construction site). And if so, what uses will people find? (I'm not imaginative enough to really think this through)
Not all hearing loss is the same. (Score:2)
hearing aid scam (Score:2)
Hearing aids are very very very very expensive. It's of course a scam. The scammers are now getting their comeuppance.