Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Apple Confirms AirPods Pro 2 Hearing Features Launching in iOS 18.1 Next Week

burgman said:
I don't think so, first iPhone required, second major selling point of new generation of hearing aids are how small and invisible they are, the opposite of AirPods. Plus we don't know how good they will function yet, say in a crowed public space..
Click to expand...
I wear hearing aids. Some experience, do you? Two options for hiding hearing aids, one behind the ear. Can be major pain if you wear any type of glasses including sunglasses. Not to mention getting them on and off. Airpods easy on off. Or hide in plain sight, Airpods. Who would know what is going on with Airpods, maybe just music. Apple already beats the competition with the loud noise feature. Apple uses the audiogram and adjust almost all hearing aids with all the current functions. Different modes sound level's and here is a huge win today, uses control panel to do it all. No need for the crappy hearing aid apps. Another aspect, adjusts the music from the iPhone to the same audiogram for high quality adjusted music. No current hearing aid can match the sound quality. The above, not all of the current features with hearing in Apple software. Imagine IOS 18.1. Did I mention one tenth the costs.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: jhwalker and miguel cortez
My iPhone 12 feels like garbage after ios 18 update, the animations are all choppy and don't even get me started with the keyboard delay
 
krspkbl said:
i have small hearing loss in my left ear and tinnitus. i wonder if it will do anything for me. probably not but still an exciting update.


both. they both use the same firmware.
Click to expand...

Entilzha said:
Apple has made no distinction between the two in promoting this, unlike functionality with Vision Pro, so the assumption is both.
Click to expand...

Thank you both!!

I have mild-severe hearing Loss in both ears, so i'm not betting the AirPods Pro 2 will outperform my hearing aids. I will say that transparency mode works flawless.

I will be test it and see how well it does. very curious.
 
Solver said:
Imagine Apple Vision Pro adding vision correction features.
Click to expand...

Not now, but eventually, the Vision pro could drop in price and allow for your prescription to be part of the actual lense. Rather than a full additional price.

I think rumors were also saying Apple Glasses.
 
hovscorpion12 said:
Thank you both!!

I have mild-severe hearing Loss in both ears, so i'm not betting the AirPods Pro 2 will outperform my hearing aids. I will say that transparency mode works flawless.

I will be test it and see how well it does. very curious.
Click to expand...
I’m currently downloading the 18.1 RC and my AP2 are the lightning variety, so I should be able to say for sure once the update downloads and installs on my 15PM!

Sadly I’m stuck on cellular atm, so the download will be…slow. :D Also, there might be an additional firmware update needed for the AirPods, so guess we will see on that as well!
 
Last edited:
  • Love
Reactions: hovscorpion12
wanha said:
this is great and all but a true killer feature would be to have an AI that listens to my wife's stories about her work day and then whispers in my ear what to reply to her
Click to expand...

I've seen that movie before. One or both of you is going to fall in love with the AI.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Night Spring
Thrillhouse74 said:
My FiL would really benefit from this, but I wonder if they can demo it in the Apple Store first, hate to shell out the money and him not be happy with the functionality.
Click to expand...
I doubt they'd be able to set up a demo at the store, and even if they could, a store isn't the best environment to perform a hearing test and experience a hearing aid for the first time. You want to be in an environment where you can control sound inputs.

If you are in the US, just buy one, test it at home, and if your FiL isn't happy with it, return it within the return period.
 
hovscorpion12 said:
Thank you both!!

I have mild-severe hearing Loss in both ears, so i'm not betting the AirPods Pro 2 will outperform my hearing aids. I will say that transparency mode works flawless.

I will be test it and see how well it does. very curious.
Click to expand...
FYI I downloaded it and my AP2 were at a high enough firmware that the test went well! I ducked into an unused meeting room at my work and ran through it. Took about 5 minutes or so. Here are my results, which I’m thankful to see! And to confirm again, my AP2 are most definjtelt the lightning case!
IMG_4434.png
 
  • Like
  • Love
Reactions: elementalwingma, HazMatt69, hovscorpion12 and 1 other person
MacRumors said:
If the test indicates hearing loss, the AirPods Pro 2 can automatically configure themselves to act as hearing aids, boosting specific sounds in real time.
Click to expand...
I still have yet to have it confirmed that the AirPods Pro actually BOOST the volume (amplitude) of sounds beyond the current MAXIMUM they normally output. Which if they aren't allowing louder amplitude will be a problem for a lot of users. For instance: the current (pre-18.1) behavior of the Accessibility 'Balance' feature is to reduce the amplitude of the opposite channel as you balance towards the channel needing additional volume, not BOOST the channel you're balancing to. That means that they're effectively lowering the overall output off the AirPods (relative to your baseline hearing ability), not "boosting". While this may be acceptable for folks who aren't hearing impaired, as an 'accessibility feature' it is flat wrong.

On my Mac, I have to run my audio through SoundSource and apply a Boost in order to use my AirPods Pro 2 at a 'volume' I desire with my level of hearing loss. Doing this, I know that the AirPods Pro have a good bit of headroom to actually amplify volume above Apple's current Max limit, with no discernible (to me at least) distortion. (I also use an EQ and compressor on the audio path.) Apple provides no way to do this on the iPhone, and I need to have my AirPods Pro cranked to 1-level-below max to talk on the phone. The only saving grace is that the noise cancellation keeps outside sounds at bay.

Here's hoping we see an actual BOOST in amplitude above current 'Max' when Hearing Aid is enabled.
 
charlien said:
I’ve been trying the current hearing aid features in my earbuds. It greatly improves things played to the earbuds but I don’t think they do much with the mic for helping with sound around me. Did apple state they will amplify sound around the user?
Click to expand...
You need to produce an audiogram with a separate app. Then apply that to to the current hearing aid function along with using the transparent mode. I have done this with AirPods 2 / iPhone 15 Pro Max and it's pretty effective. I also have a set of over $2000 hearing aids and for doing things like listening to high quality music reproduction, the AirPods are actually better--especially with the bass frequencies. That's from speakers, not the AirPods themselves. :)
 
AppleTO said:
Is the hearing aid functionally US only? (FDA being mentioned)
Click to expand...
ApplesAreSweet&Sour said:
...I'm sure the beta-testers could tell us exactly which countries. And if there are limitations outside the U.S., which is very likely the case...
Click to expand...
UK Beta tester here - just updated to the iOS 18.1 RC and the new protection/test options aren't showing for me in my AirPod Pro 2's settings on my iPhone 16 Pro
 
NightFox said:
UK Beta tester here - just updated to the iOS 18.1 RC and the new protection/test options aren't showing for me in my AirPod Pro 2's settings on my iPhone 16 Pro
Click to expand...
What's the firmware on your AP2? Mine is 7B13D (and 18.1 RC) and don't have yet access to the hearing test
 
Last edited:
My hearing test went well and the results were ‘little to no hearing loss’. As expected, the results are already listed in the Health app.
 
As someone who has suffered hearing loss after having chemotherapy treatment for cancer, I am extremely excited for this release having been a AirPods and AirPods Pro and AirPods Pro 2 user since they first came out.

I have lost volume hearing and in both years as well as losing high frequency hearing so female and children voices are difficult for me to hear and some letters such as S and F are also difficult.

I do have hearing aids supplied by the health service here in the UK, but would much prefer to use my AirPods Pro instead.

I hope when this releases next week it is available in the UK as well as all the countries are around the world. This could be a game changer for me.

Think it may take some time low for people to get used to see in people with hearing difficulties wearing and using AirPods as a hearing aid, some people may initially think you are being rude and listening to music. This will just take a little time for people to adjust.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Night Spring
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back