Do you hear what everyone else hears?
Admit it, the sleeper hit of Apple’s big Glowtime event in Cupertino on Monday was not the iPhone 16’s Camera Control button, it was AirPods Pro 2’s new clinical-grade, over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aid technology – in a trio of new features coming to your AirPods Pro 2. That was the moment I heard audible shock and unbridled applause, anyway.
I have been accused in my home of having poor hearing. My hearing, as far as I know, is fine, I just have a focus problem. Maybe. In truth, I haven’t been tested since I was a child. Now that I’ve reached a certain milestone age, most healthcare professionals recommend I have my ears tested at least every couple of years, if not more often. In the very near future, I might use my AirPods Pro 2 Bluetooth earbuds to test my hearing and then use them to adjust the sounds I hear based on the results.
Glowtime was the moment when your best earbuds officially transformed from your go-to music and podcast delivery device to an in-ear health system. The future updates, which include hearing protection, hearing loss, and hearing assistance are not surprising coming from Apple. A decade after Apple introduced its original wearable, the Apple Watch has transformed from a smartwatch that could ably deliver news, info, notifications, and support some exercise tracking to a full-blown health tracker (note the sleep apnea update). It’s no wonder Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 is on the same path.
These clinical-grade hearing tests and OTC hearing aid technology are not, interestingly enough, arriving on the new AirPods 4. The tests require the true seal of the AirPods Pro 2, which is now two years old but still capable of supporting Apple’s innovative hearing assistance technology.
