Apple is adding certified health and wellness features to several devices in its lineup. The latest addition is hearing aid-like capabilities to the AirPods Pro 2. iOS 18.1, now in beta 5, enables this feature.
AirPods Pro 2 will be able to make an audiogram
Apple recently announced new hearing health features for the AirPods Pro 2. The fifth beta of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 adds the new Hearing Assist features.
Estes features require the latest AirPods Pro 2. Previous AirPods Pro models don’t support Hearing Assist. Neither do the new AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation.
How the AirPods Pro 2 hearing functions work
The AirPods Pro 2 will become an FDA-cleared hearing aid for people with mild to moderate hearing loss. The announced Hearing Test, Hearing Aid, and Hearing Protection features will reportedly arrive in iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 next month, as they are now available in the latest betas.
According to macrumorsin beta 5 of iOS 18.1 it is now possible to access the set of hidden hearing assistance features of the AirPods Pro 2. It is not yet available in Portuguese.
After you take a hearing test in the Health app, which uses a standard clinical approach called pure-tone audiometry, a profile tailored to your hearing is created (you can also import an audiogram from an audiologist). A five-minute test is all it takes to determine if you have hearing loss. Apple says that “hearing loss is common and can worsen with age.”
Here is a common classification of pure tone audiometry results:
- 0 a 20 dBHL: Normal hearing
- 21 a 40 dBHL: Mild hearing loss
- 41 a 55 dBHL: Moderate hearing loss
- 56 a 70 dBHL: Moderately severe hearing loss
- 71 a 90 dBHL: Severe hearing loss
- Above 90 dBHL: Profound hearing loss
Apple's computational audio algorithm uses this hearing profile to enhance certain sounds in real time.
Yours personalized hearing profile is stored privately and securely in the Health appbeing synchronized between your devices so that you always have an audio experience adapted to your hearing.
With a hearing profile created, the hearing protection reduces louder, intermittent noises up to 48,000 times per second when using Transparency mode. A custom multi-band high dynamic range algorithm ensures that sounds at concerts and live events remain natural and vibrant.
Another feature, the Media Assist, enhances certain parts of speech or instruments in a soundtrack to improve the clarity of your music, videos and calls.
For now, it is not yet available in Portugal in version 18.1 beta 5. However, for those who are outside the country or have bypassed the limitations imposed by Apple, under EU rules, you can test the hearing assistance features by installing the beta version of iOS 18.1 on your iPhone and set up your AirPods Pro 2 to receive beta firmware.
Source: pplware.sapo.pt
