Apple’s Heartstrings commercial, released in December 2024, gathered millions of views within just two months of posting. It features a family with a young daughter who plays various instruments – and her father, silently struggling with a hearing loss, who can’t hear the music his daughter plays.
However, his struggle to hear his daughter quickly ends when he puts in one of his Apple AirPods and the fuzzy, distant sound instantly snaps into crisp, clear quality. With the power of his AirPods, he can hear his daughter play the guitar with ease, reconnecting him to his family.
It’s a sweet commercial; it made our team shed a few tears! As a registered audiologist myself, Apple shared very succinctly how better hearing health makes such an impact, not just on your ears but on your relationships with your loved ones and your life.
However, there’s a few factors to consider before you rush out to get the Apple AirPods Pro 2 for your hearing loss. What Apple doesn’t tell you in the commercial is that their latest Hearing Aid Mode works well but only for specific situations and hearing loss challenges.
Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids and Apple AirPods Pro 2
Federally authorized in 2022, over-the-counter hearing aids give an accessible option to those in need of a general boost to their hearing capabilities. Similar to “readers” eyeglasses from the grocery store, these provide a general amplification to all sound for those with a mild to moderate hearing loss.
Apple’s AirPods Pro features similar abilities; after an in-app hearing test, you can utilize your earbuds as hearing aids to amplify sound. While OTC devices do not come equipped with your specific prescription after a hearing test, Apple AirPods Pro provides a pure-tone audiometry test to allow for customization of your earbuds to your unique needs.
However, Apple’s AirPods Pro does not test for other intricacies of your hearing loss challenges, such as tinnitus, earwax impaction, or auditory processing disorder, to name a few. Their in-app hearing test cannot test how well you hear in background noise or how you process speech.
Apple’s latest venture into hearing care is a huge leap forward in making hearing care accessible, normalized, and available to more people worldwide. However, it’s not a long-term solution that will help address more in-depth hearing loss concerns.
Our hearing keeps us connected to the people and the moments that matter most in our lives. Hearing loss doesn’t just affect your ears – it also affects your life.
While Apple’s hearing aid features can provide a good entry into the world of hearing care, if their amplification settings aren’t enough for your ears, a registered audiologist will be able to provide more clarity regarding your hearing loss challenges.
At the end of the day, your hearing care doesn’t end with hearing aids. A lifelong journey to constantly improve your hearing capabilities takes a little more than just great technology; it takes a relationship built on trust with a professional who has your best interests at heart.
Comprehensive Hearing Care with Allison Audiology
What were your experiences with the Apple AirPods Pro 2? Did you try their hearing aid features? If you find that their abilities didn’t address the full scope of your hearing loss concerns, we’re here to help.
Simply request a callback, and we’ll get in touch with you as soon as we can. You can also give us a call at (713) 827-1767 for a more immediate chat.
