Apple Earbuds: can they be used as hearing aids?
Updated: Sep 6
Apple AirPods Pro 2 received FDA approval in the US to be used as a hearing aid (on MSN). Soon, we might see them getting the green light in the UK and other European countries. Can Apple AirPods be used as hearing aids? What are the Pros and Cons of using Apple AirPods as hearing aids? Read through this article to learn more.
How would that work?
Simple: you download iOS 18 or higher for your iPhone and pair the Apple AirPods Pro 2 to your iPhone. Locate the Hearing Test Feature in Settings and do a self-hearing test on your iPhone. You are ready.
Pros
Here is the list of Pros for using Apple AirPods Pro 2 as a hearing aid:
The ease of DIY is appealing to many
Much cheaper than hearing aids.
Great connectivity, stability and streaming to iPhone devices with a good range.
Good background noise reduction when streaming.
Cons
Here is the list of Cons of using Apple AirPods Pro 2 as a hearing aid:
Poor processed sound quality (please see the video at the bottom of this video)
It can only handle mild to moderate-level hearing loss. This is mostly because of the FDA regulatory obligations. (Please note that people with Severe hearing loss may still set them for their hearing loss and see some sub-optimal benefit of using earbuds.)
It sticks out of your ear. In business and casual meetings, keeping the music buds in may look disrespectful.
Limited options for fitting, as they come with standard power domes that cause severe occlusion (hearing your voice).
Only a one-year warranty from Apple.
No access to professional healthcare for proper fine-tuning of the hearing aids.
Lack of advanced features such as directionality, artificial intelligence (AI, and deep neural networks (DNN).
Conclusion
I do not see Apple AirPods Pro 2 getting a massive market share in the hearing aids market.
However, the Apple AirPods Pro 2 could get the attention of certain groups of consumers who are open to using the earbud-type hearing aids, including:
Young patients who use the earbuds for streaming music and playing games a lot. This product provides a two-in-one solution for music, hobbies, and hearing loss management.
A cheap option for a second set of hearing aids for emergencies (e.g. when the main hearing aid has gone for service/repair).
It is a cheap option for very low-budget consumers and first-time users of hearing aids.
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Good points about the use as hearing aids - However, I'm quite interested in the feature so that I can better listen to music on the Air Pods - Compared to listening to music through regular speakers with hearing aids in, the Air Pods are unsuprisingly lacking in top end and the L-R balance is off. Looking forward to fixing that!