Apple has recently launched a touching holiday advertisement that highlights the hearing aid capabilities of the AirPods Pro 2. Sarah Herrlinger, Apple’s global head of accessibility, has provided further insights into the company’s initiatives toward enhancing health features during an interview.
Apple Executive Discusses AirPods as Hearing Aids
Herrlinger mentioned (via Forbes) that the latest hearing aid functionalities introduced this year for AirPods Pro 2 underscore Apple’s “longstanding commitment” to accessibility in technology. She pointed out that over 1.5 billion individuals globally experience hearing loss, and a study by the company indicated that 75% of these individuals “do not receive the necessary assistive support.”
She emphasized that Apple was the pioneer in employing Bluetooth LE for audio, leading to the development of the first LEA (Low Energy Audio) protocol that streams audio from smartphones directly to hearing aids. “Since then, we’ve rolled out features aimed at enhancing hearing accessibility, including Headphone Audio Levels, Headphone Accommodations, and Conversation Boost,” she remarked.
According to the executive, the technology incorporated into the AirPods Pro 2 offers a “first-of-its-kind, end-to-end hearing health experience,” the culmination of “years of learning” by Apple’s software engineers, acousticians, designers, and many other experts. By transforming wireless earbuds into hearing aid devices, Apple provides “clinical-grade” functionalities to individuals over the age of 18.
The AirPods Pro 2 acquired hearing aid capabilities with the release of iOS 18.1 to the public in October. Users have the option to conduct a test to identify potential hearing loss and adjust their AirPods accordingly to function as hearing aids.
Earlier this month, at the Web Summit Lisbon 2024, Herrlinger discussed how Apple has been leveraging AI to enhance the lives of individuals with disabilities through technologies like Eye Tracking, Sound Recognition, and AssistiveTouch.
Make sure to check out the complete interview on the Forbes website.
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