Apple AirPods Pro 2 have been approved by the FDA to function as hearing aids

[Mark]

TechRadar https://www.techradar.com/audio/earbuds ... aring-aids

Gizmodo: https://gizmodo.com/fda-clears-apples-a ... 2000498087

Apple press release regarding feature: https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2024/09/ ... -features/

This is actually pretty cool. Ever since it has been allowed to sell hearing aids over-the-counter in the US, there has been a push for mid to low cost hearing aids. I'm not an Apple fanboy, but it's super cool for them to walk in with an option that is easy to use, feature rich, and lower cost than most out there. It's still going to lack the battery length and fine tuning of a real set of hearing aids, but given what software updates can do, there's some pretty great potential here, especially for those who are not at the point where they want/need hearing aids but suffer from diminished hearing. Apple came in and entered a huge market just like that.

[rejectconvenience]

See, this is an example of modern tech that I really like. Tech can unlock all kinds of accessibility advantages, and it's frustrating when the tech is there, and no one does anything positive with it. Good to see something positive being done with it here!

That said, at least you can replace batteries in normal hearing aids (though the cost difference is pretty extreme from my understanding)

[Mark]

See, this is an example of modern tech that I really like. Tech can unlock all kinds of accessibility advantages, and it's frustrating when the tech is there, and no one does anything positive with it. Good to see something positive being done with it here!

That said, at least you can replace batteries in normal hearing aids (though the cost difference is pretty extreme from my understanding)

Yeah the disposable batteries you tend to go through quite a bit, but some of that is just the nature of hearing aids being a fact of life, where you end up wearing them constantly, so you rip through batteries. Rechargeable hearing aids are a thing, but nowhere near as convenient to just pop in a new battery, and they come with the added cost. My ol' stepfather had hearing aids and he kept the batteries on hand everywhere.

What is interesting to note, that in the typical lifespan of a set of earbuds (3ish years), the cost of batteries will have paid for another set, maybe two, of the AirPods Pro 2. That's the major win here, the ease of access at a lower price point. It's not exactly a replacement for hearing aids, but it bridges the gap.