Apple on Thursday got a green light from US regulators to add a feature that would let upcoming AirPods Pro ear pieces be used as hearing aids, potentially disrupting that market.
Early this week the company added AirPods Pro 2 to its lineup, touting a pending software upgrade that will let people test their hearing and then get personally-tuned assistance listening to what is around them or stream online.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Thursday authorized the hearing aid feature for the new Apple devices, noting that a study showed users found them as beneficial as professionally fitted ones.
"Hearing loss is a significant public health issue impacting millions of Americans," said FDA acting director Michelle Tarver.
Tarver contended that authorization of AirPods Pro 2 hearing aid software "advances the availability, accessibility and acceptability of hearing support for adults with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss."
AirPods Pro 2 are priced at $249, considerably lower than the average price of clinical-grade hearing aids.
The hearing aid feature is designed to work with iPhones or iPads, though, meaning those interested will need to invest in Apple mobile devices.
Along with the new feature, Apple introduced the ability to use AirPods Pro 2, along with iPhones or iPads, to test their hearing and create a hearing profile stored privately in an Apple Health app.
"Hearing health is an essential part of our overall wellbeing, yet it can often be overlooked," Apple vice president of health doctor Sumbul Desai said in a release.
"We're thrilled to provide breakthrough software features with AirPods Pro that put users' hearing health front and center, bringing new ways to help test for and receive assistance for hearing loss."
More than 30 million US adults report some degree of hearing loss, causes of which include aging and being exposed to loud noises, according to the FDA.
Using results of the hearing test, the software turns AirPods Pro 2 into a clinical-grade hearing aid, according to Apple.
The user's personalized hearing profile is then "automatically applied to music, movies, games, and phone calls across their devices without needing to adjust any settings," Apple said.
Typical hearing aids don't adapt specifically for streamed content or phone calls.
Apple touted the AirPods Pro 2 hearing aid feature as the first of its kind.
The iPhone maker plans to make the hearing testing and aid features available in more than 100 countries in the coming months, pending authorization from relevent health authorities.
