AirPods with enhanced hearing health features could provide an additional option for people with hearing loss. The FDA finalized a rule last year that made hearing aids for adults with mild to moderate hearing loss available over the counter. While the average cost of a pair of over-the-counter hearing aids is estimated to be between $600 and $1,200, Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 are only $249.
Apple already has two features, Live Listen and Conversation Boost, that allow AirPods to function as on-demand hearing aids. However, as Bloomberg points out, these features have not been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. Apple intends to add hearing health features to AirPods “more officially” in the future. Some health features may be added to existing AirPods via a firmware update.