According to the latest indiscretions collected by Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, the AirPods Pro could get a new hearing aid mode thanks to the iOS18 update for iPhones next school year.
Medical market, new target for Apple££££
This is not the first time that such a rumor has been talked about. In late 2022, we reported that researchers had determined that the AirPods of the moment could provide a serious boost to people with hearing loss. In March 2023 we reported that Apple, still very interested in health and the lucrative associated medical market, with plans to launch new AirPods equipped with such functionalities at the hardware level.
AirPods Pro, perfect companion for the hearing impaired? ££££
But what Mark Gurman recently mentioned does not concern a new pair of AirPods but rather a functionality added in software for current owners of AirPods Pro. These already have a Conversation Amplifier function, but Apple is apparently aiming for quality close to dedicated hearing aids. In this case, Apple will likely need validation from the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), which regulates medical devices in the USA.
