In the very near future it will be possible to buy hearing aids over the counter. This has been made possible partly by a US Food and Drug Administration authority ruling about two years ago.
It inspired companies, like Apple, to develop a consumer product that will be amongst the first to enable consumers to access hearing aids in retail stores.
Apple announced last week that its future AirPods will enable users to improve their hearing. It’s a major innovation by Apple, which will once again make a difference for many who are struggling with their hearing.
According to the World Health Organisation, more than 5% of the world’s population – or 430 million people – require rehabilitation to address their disabling hearing loss (including 34 million children).
It is estimated that by 2050 more than 700 million people – or one in every 10 people – will have disabling hearing loss. Disabling hearing loss refers to hearing loss greater than 35 decibels (dB) in the better hearing ear. Nearly 80% of people with disabling hearing loss live in low-and middle-income countries.
The prevalence of hearing loss increases with age, among those older than 60 years, over 25% are affected by disabling hearing loss.
Ever since Apple focused on health and technology, the company has been looking at specific challenges and developing products around those challenges. One of them is hearing loss.
As a result, the San Francisco-based tech giant introduced what it called, “the world’s first end-to-end hearing health experience”. This delivers active Hearing Protection, a scientifically validated Hearing Test and a clinical-grade Hearing Aid feature.
The company emphasised its commitment on the hearing challenge. Sumbul Desai, MD, Apple’s vice president of Health, said, “Hearing health is an essential part of our overall well being, yet it can often be overlooked. In fact, according to the Apple Hearing Study, a staggering 75% of people diagnosed with hearing loss go untreated.”
This feature on Apple Airpods is designed for users with mild to moderate hearing loss. Using the personalised hearing profile from the Hearing Test, this new feature seamlessly transforms AirPods Pro into a clinical-grade hearing aid.
After setup the feature enables personalised dynamic adjustments so users have the sounds around them boosted in real time. This helps users better engage in conversation and keeps them connected to the people and environment around them.
With the incredible audio quality of AirPods Pro, the user’s personalised hearing profile is automatically applied to music, movies, games, and phone calls across their devices without needing to adjust any settings. This first-of-its-kind software-based hearing aid feature brings users the ability to fine-tune their experience at any time, making access to hearing assistance easier than ever.
Apple’s Hearing Aid feature, coming in iOS 18, starts with a hearing test on your paired iPhone or iPad. The test begins by ensuring your earbuds have a good seal. After that, it activates active noise cancellation and asks you to tap the screen when you hear tones in the left and right ears.
Once you finish, your results will live in the iOS Health app, where you can see how your results change (or not) over time. You can download your results and give them to an audiologist anytime. (If the test determines you have severe hearing loss, it will recommend you seek a professional assessment since the AirPods feature is only approved for those with mild to moderate impairment.)
Of all the product launch announcements last week by Apple, this one will probably be the most impactful. Considering the costs, complexity and effectiveness that comes with current hearing aids one cannot wait to observe the Apple factor on hearing devices.
We’ve seen Apple changing what it means to use a mobile phone and smart watches. Now Apple is getting ready to change hearing aids. Medical aid companies will have to adapt to this new product, which may just become a runaway success and a new health tech product.
Wesley Diphoko is a technology analyst and the Editor-In-Chief of FastCompany (SA) magazine.
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