Apple Officially Announce a Hearing Test and Hearing Aid Feature | What This Means

Yesterday, (September 9, 2024) Apple held an online event to make a number of announcements about their next generation of iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods.

Having shared that Apple was rumoured to be launching a ‘Hearing Aid Mode’ earlier this year, we watched with great interest to see if this rumor was going to become true, and what this technology would potentially look like.

As predicted, Apple discussed their new AirPods and introduced three new hearing related features.

This includes:

1. Active Hearing Protection – a built-in defense mechanism to minimize loud sounds focused on protecting the hearing of the user.

2. A clinical-grade hearing test feature based on a pure-tone audiometry that users can take themselves through an iPhone or iPad.

3. Over-the-counter hearing aid mode features to allow users with a mild-to-moderate hearing loss to use their AirPods to support them in challenging listening environments.

These features have not yet received FDA clearance but are expected to be available for purchase as early as next Friday, September 20, 2024, per Apple’s website.

What Will Apple’s Over-The-Counter Hearing Aid Features Be Like?

From what we can tell at this time, Apple’s Hearing Aid Features will be classed as an over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aid.

These types of devices have been available since August 2022, when the FDA finalized regulations, creating an ability for consumers to purchase devices over-the-counter.  This class of technology allows the user to fit and program the devices themselves.  As we have shared before, these types of at-home programmable devices are designed for those with a mild-to-moderate hearing loss and are for periodic use in certain environments.

Brands such as Sony and Jabra launched their over-the-counter devices, and based our experiences, there has been a mixed response with many people realizing that the devices didn’t meet their needs or expectations.

Given Apple’s reputation, you would expect that their technology would be better than the previous options on the market, as it will be powered through their existing AirPods hardware, but time will tell.

Although this technology has not yet been FDA-approved at the time of writing this, the biggest concern I have at this stage is how clearly the over-the-counter label will be. Apple’s current website describes this new feature as ‘A clinical‑grade Hearing Aid’ and there appears to be no mention of ‘over-the-counter’ on the webpage, which could lead to confusion.

What Does This Mean for The Future of Hearing Care?

For much of my career, one of the biggest challenges of the hearing care industry has been that many people regularly have their eyes tested and an annual physical, yet hardly anyone has their hearing tested regularly.

Apple’s entrance into the hearing care market is going to change that.

With every iPhone user soon having the ability to conduct a basic hearing test through their cell phone, it’s going to result in millions of more people having an ability to easily evaluate, monitor and become educated on their hearing abilities.  Keep in mind, pure-tone air-conduction is only a small part of a complete diagnostic hearing evaluation.  Air-conduction tells us how loud sounds need to be in order for sound to enter the ear canal, pass through the eardrum and middle-ear space, then end up in the cochlea, where sounds are processed to the brain.  If there is ear wax occluding the canal, pressure from congestion, or anything keeping sounds from passing through this space, results will be skewed.  Pure-tone air audiometry does not tell us one’s permanent hearing abilities, but will give a general sense of what is occurring in the moment.

Based on my experience, many people believe their hearing is normal, and it’s only when they have their hearing tested do they realize just how much they have been missing. Apple is going to highlight this to more people, and normalize the treatment of hearing loss.

Their ‘Hearing Aid Feature’ (if FDA-approved) will serve as a great way for individuals to become aware of the basic benefits of better hearing.  For those needing more assistance, it will shed light on the possibilities one could achieve with a a full-time solution.

In Summary

Although this news moves fast, and this is a live reaction, Apple’s ‘Hearing Aid Feature’ launch is going to help shine a spotlight on the importance of hearing healthcare, which is what we have wanted as an industry for decades.

The only concern is the potential confusion that will be caused by individuals believing Apple has launched a ‘Hearing Aid’ rather than an over-the-counter solution, which could result in people incorrectly treating their hearing challenges or not fully understanding the solutions that they require.

If you have any questions about what this means for you, then our team are here for you.

Thanks for reading.