Apple AirPods can now be used as hearing aids in Australia
Apple earphones can now be used as clinical level acoustic appliances in Australia, since the technology giant has been granted the regulatory approval by the administration of therapeutic goods (TGA) after having for the first time introducing the function in the United States last September.
Apple states that the feature, classified in Australia as a product of a bench acoustic appliance, is based on science and has been validated through rigorous Scientific studies. It currently works only with $ 400 AirPods Pro 2.
AirPods Pro 2 of Apple can now work as an acoustic device in Australia.
From today, the owners of those earphones can use an iPhone or iPad for administer an hearing testwhich is based on a clinical approach called pure tone audiometry. Check eight different frequencies, including the four who are most important to understand the speech, is validated for people aged 18 or over 18 years and can be taken by anyone, regardless of the fact that they feel the loss of hearing.
After the test, users are provided with a complete series of results and insights, which take place privately in the health app. The results are in a standard format, so users should be able to bring them to a doctor if necessary. On the contrary, if they already have audiological results, they can scan an audiogram in their Apple device instead of performing the new test.
Where a person undergoes a loss of mild to moderate hearing, he can activate the acoustic appliance mode, which uses the test results to increase certain frequencies. In the same way it works for much more expensive acoustic devices to amplify environmental sound and also applies to any music or media played on Bluetooth. The settings live on the airpods, therefore they work independently of the device to which they are connected and users can control the amplification by scrolling over the earphones or using a new cursor in the iPhone control center.
The function of acoustic appliance works effectively only with a tip of the ear of adequate size, creating a tight seal. The hearing test will indicate if a user does not have the right tip applied and AirPods Pro 2 is provided with a series of tips. Apple sells substitutions if they are lost.
Hearing tests and hearing aids are combined with other hearing health features already on Apple devices.
The World Health Organization estimates that hearing loss affects about 1.5 billion people and that in 2050 over 700 million people global will experience profound hearing loss. An Apple survey on users in the United States found that 10 % of the participants had been diagnosed with a loss of hearing by a professional, but that of these only a quarter used any assisted support.
