Apple has announced a batch of hearing health updates coming to the AirPods Pro 2, including a new “clinical grade” hearing aid feature. The iPhone maker says the hearing aid functionality is still awaiting FDA clearance, but it expects the agency’s approval alongside other regulatory bodies “soon.”
When enabled, the hearing aid feature will boost specific sounds in real time, such as speech and other environmental noises. A new clinically validated hearing test feature will also be included in this update that can help to detect hearing loss. Apple says the test requires both the AirPods Pro and a connected iPhone and can be taken in under five minutes.