In September, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a “hearing aid feature” for Apple’s AirPods Pro 2—the version that fits snugly in your ears with rubber tips. The ear buds now offer a hearing test and the ability to amplify ambient sound in mild to moderate hearing loss. The feature requires a free software update on iOS 18-compatable iPhones and iPads.
Thirty million Americans have hearing loss, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many go undiagnosed and never use hearing aids. For some, hearing aids are essential to daily life, particularly those with disabling hearing loss. Traditionally, getting a formal diagnosis of hearing loss and obtaining conventional hearing aids involves going to an audiologist, who performs a hearing test called an audiogram, prescribes custom-programmed hearing aids, then works to ensure they’re optimized.
Enter tech companies, who over the last several years have been steadily improving the functionality of ear buds for listening to music, talking on the phone, and binge-watching Netflix. The same listening technology helps amplify sound for the hearing impaired.
Are Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 Good Hearing Aids?
In 2018, Apple released the “Live Listen” feature which uses the iPhone’s microphone to amplify sounds directly into AirPods. In 2021, “Conversation Boost” was added which uses beamforming microphones and computational audio to focus on the sound in front of the wearer.
This begs the question: can Apple’s AirPods—a popular and familiar device—be a viable, affordable alternative to conventional hearing aids?
The answer is complicated. AirPods do deliver and amplify sound, and in studies perform remarkably well compared to hearing aids, especially for a multi-function device. Yet in many cases, they are not as good as professionally programmed, specialized devices.
This makes them an adequate option in mild to moderate hearing loss, but not a great choice in severe or disabling hearing loss or more complicated hearing problems. Conversation Boost improves speech clarity when there’s background noise, but it doesn’t match the adaptive processing capabilities of conventional hearing aids particularly in challenging auditory environments.
The Pros and Cons of AirPods 2 As Hearing Aids
One advantage of AirPods is their cost with a retail price of $250 which recently dropped to $170. This is a fraction of conventional hearing aids which can put you back $1,000 to $6,000 per pair. Hearing aids are sometimes not covered by insurance plans. Coverage may also depend upon the degree of hearing impairment. Therefore, AirPods may be a cost-effective alternative for people with mild to moderate impairment where insurance won’t cover conventional hearing aids.
AirPods are also accessible to anyone who can afford them. They don’t require any interactions with the medical system: no appointments, no prescriptions, and no waiting for hearing aids to be programmed.
Another important feature in AirPods is the built-in hearing test. Positive test results may prompt people to seek medical advice. In some cases, hearing loss can be caused by more serious issues, like an acoustic neuroma—a non-cancerous brain tumor, which if undiagnosed can grow and impact other parts of the brain. Hearing loss may also be from ear wax build-up which can be simply removed.
The look of conventional hearing aids also comes with a stigma for some users. Using AirPods may help overcome some of this. Yet AirPods can also create a socially awkward situation if people think that wearing them means that a person is not listening, perhaps on a phone call or listening to music.
People commonly wear hearing aids all day. Battery life and comfort are key issues. Conventional hearing aids have a long battery life, lasting several days per charge or use disposable batteries. AirPods last about 6 hours before needing a recharge. When it comes to comfort, AirPods’ rubber tips may irritate the ears, particularly if used for prolonged periods.
Another issue with AirPods: prolonged listening at high volumes can cause hearing loss. Now with the AirPod’s hearing aid feature it may be the only consumer electronic on the market that can simultaneously cause and solve a health problem.
A key reason that AirPods can now be marketed as hearing aids is that in 2022, FDA established a new category of over-the-counter hearing aids. Other options in this category are produced by Jabra, Audien, and Eargo and others, each with different options—including audiologist consultation in some—with variable price points ranging from $200 to $2,000 per pair.
Do AirPods As Hearing Aids Signal A New Consumer Electronic Trend?
Ultimately, AirPods and other over-the-counter hearing devices can’t fully replace all the features of conventional hearing aids, particularly for people with complex hearing issues or severe hearing impairment. Yet they do signal a future where tech companies will continue to blur the lines between consumer electronic and medical care when it comes to diagnosis and treatment.
Apple’s Watch (Series 4 or later or the Ultra model)—for example—has an electrocardiogram feature to detect atrial fibrillation—a heart arrhythmia. The Oura Ring can monitor heart rate, blood oxygen level, temperature, activity, and sleep. As consumer technology like AirPods and others advances and powerful new artificial intelligence algorithms are integrated, there will be increasing ways to monitor, diagnose, and treat health conditions.
