Apple's AirPods Pro 2's impressive hearing test launch date confirmed

AppleInsider

The first reviews of the AirPods Pro 2 hearing features are out, and they also confirm that the launch is to be before the end of October.

Apple's AirPods Pro 2 are about to gain a clinical-grade hearing test feature

Reviewers are all saying no more than "next week," but this is in line with the expected October 28, 2024 release of iOS 18.1. Overall, reviewers are also all saying that the hearing test in particular is impressive.

"At times, the experience has been emotionally intense," said Chris Welch in The Verge. "But this is a big milestone -- and it seems inevitable that Samsung, Google, and other tech heavyweights will follow Apple's lead fairly quickly."

The test can be taken as many times as desired, and it is programmed to be different for each time. The principle is that the user presses a button whenever they hear a tone, but that tone, and the overall sequence of tones, changes with every test.

"For those who don't know they have hearing loss -- or have always wondered -- Apple's new test can reveal potentially life-changing insights," wrote Nicole Nguyen in the Wall Street Journal. "Untreated hearing loss increases the risk of social isolation and dementia."

"I say (okay, I whisper) this emphatically and urgently," says Liz Plosser of Women's Health. "The device is worth the investment because it could positively impact your hearing for the rest of your life."

It's not all positive

Every reviewer so far has praised the effectiveness of the hearing test, but most also have some criticisms. The test itself requires the wearer to be in a quiet place and some workers struggled to find one quiet enough.

Then there were some like Nguyen who point out that the AirPods "are fussier than traditional hearing aids and might not be the best option for people who've never worn them before."

Nguyen is thinking chiefly of more elderly people, and notes that AirPods and their case are small, so the wearer needs dexterity to be able to handle them."

For all users, Nguyen points out that "the adjustments are buried in the iPhone's Settings app and only show up when AirPods are connected." Plus there is an issue over battery life.

"The [AirPods] Pros can last up to six hours," writes Nguyen, "[while] Yauman's prescription hearing aids, Jabra's Enhance Pro 20, only need to be charged about every 30 hours--on par with competitors."

Apple announced at the September 2024 iPhone launch that AirPods Pro 2 would gain what it described as clinical-grade hearing aid features. Once a user has taken the test, the AirPods Pro adjust their audio output to try addressing any issues.



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riverko

AirPods too small as a hearing aid? If i remember what my grandma used to have - case smaller as ring case and the hearing aid itself was the size of a very small bean… no stalks or anything… so i’d say the size may be quite an improvement for somw

alandail

What an odd criticism to criticize the 6 hour battery life in a device where hearing aid as a new feature added to devices people already own.

It only takes 5 minutes to add an hour of charge. Or you can buy two AirPods pros for well less than half of the price of one Jamba Enhanced Pro 20 and swap them every 6 hours and don't have to pay for appointments to get and configure the device.

So many people are going to have improved hearing who didn't know they had hearing loss.

I am confused, though, by Apple's naming. Is there a new AirPods Pro 2, or is this a feature added to the existing AirPods Pro 2? Are all AirPods Pro 2 with the USB-C port the same?

afganblues

Seriously think the reviewer is completely off base with his criticism of the size of the AirPods. AirPods are much larger and easier to use than any hearing aid on the market. Some of the hearing aids are nearly impossible to handle by an elderly person. This is why listening to or reading reviews is in many cases completely useless.

robin huber

I got Rexton in-ear aids at Costco in February. They are much smaller than AirPods and require frequent changing of a tiny (slightly bigger than B-B gun ammo) battery—one side or the other every couple of days. Very fiddly. Synching the changing of batteries not feasible due to my hearing loss being unequal—one side set to higher volume that uses more power. The directional adjustments via an app on my iPhone are pretty ineffective. Only volume and L/R balance really work.

I chose this type because of vanity, they are basically invisible, knowing that sound quality and battery life would suffer. So, no criticism of Rexton. They work pretty well overall, considering. But the high frequencies (where my loss is) can sound annoyingly tinny due to the miniscule speakers under certain circumstances. Also, my sense of audio directionality gets hosed—can hear birds I never heard before, but where they are is a mystery!

Got them after years of haranguing Apple about the wisdom of turning AirPods into hearing aids, but got tired of waiting. Now I am looking forward to using both devices in tandem, choosing which one based on the situation. Anticipating better audio quality on the Apple device. Will save on batteries too!

kiltedgreen

“Every reviewer so far has praised the effectiveness of the hearing test, but most also have some criticisms. The test itself requires the wearer to be in a quiet place and some workers struggled to find one quiet enough.”

I mean, REALLY? Damn it, why doesn’t Apple let us use their anechoic chamber or provide really quiet places where we can set it up. Cheapskates!

cpsro

Valid criticisms but I've been using Headphone Accommodations with AirPods Pro and AirPods Max for years already and it's been great. The only new aspect to iOS 18.1 is the inclusion of Apple's FDA approved hearing test. AirPods Pro audio quality is vastly superior to professional hearing aids costing over $1K more. AirPods Pro/Max switch automatically between Apple devices and offer ANC (adaptive noise cancellation) with a simple press--neither of which are supported by hearing aids.

edited October 2024

anilu_777

alandail said:

What an odd criticism to criticize the 6 hour battery life in a device where hearing aid as a new feature added to devices people already own.

I am confused, though, by Apple's naming. Is there a new AirPods Pro 2, or is this a feature added to the existing AirPods Pro 2? Are all AirPods Pro 2 with the USB-C port the same?

Yes they are the same AidPods Pro 2 that has already been on sale. 

penzi

This is what happens when general tech reviewers are handed something well outside of their wheelhouse. Not a single real-world negative: size? A joke. Too large/heavy perhaps but definitely not too tiny/fiddly (as noted by others already). Also as noted: the quiet space… having done a traditional hearing test, you’re sound isolated in a lab in the bowels of the beast (or other similarly convenient location; I had more than a half hour drive to get to mine) so this is absolutely more convenient.

The real test is when real testers test it. I’d be intrigued whether this is an industry changing event. Hearing aids tend to be discreet because people don’t want others to know they’re being worn (a discussion for a very different forum) and that is never the case for those wearing their earphones generally… this will probably widen the market for those willing to try hearing aids even if it ends up not changing the market otherwise.