Picture this: a microwave, a cardboard box, some aluminum foil, and an iPad. You might wonder what these items have to do with grandma’s hearing problems.
A group of Indian developers used these items to create a “Faraday cage” that blocks signals. By placing a Wi-Fi iPad 10 inside and using the microwave to interfere with Wi-Fi signals, then employing open-source Wi-Fi databases and spoofing tools, they tricked the iPad into thinking it was in California.
All this effort for one purpose: to let their grandmother in India use the hearing aid feature on AirPods Pro 2.
A Long-Planned Hearing Aid Feature
After updating to iOS 18.1, users can perform hearing tests with AirPods Pro 2 to enable the hearing aid function. Users can also scan or upload audiograms from their doctors.
The hearing test takes 5-10 minutes in a quiet environment. The earbuds play sounds at different frequencies, and users tap the screen when they hear them, identifying which frequency ranges they struggle to hear.
▲ Mixdown Magazine
The test generates a personal hearing profile showing decibel loss levels and produces a clinical-grade audiogram.
With AirPods Pro in “Transparency Mode,” the hearing aid mode activates, specifically amplifying frequencies you struggle to hear. After customization, it’s best not to share your AirPods with others.
Even users with mild hearing loss report clearer sounds, better TV dialogue comprehension, and improved conversations in noisy environments.
The earbuds don’t simply amplify everything – they suppress urban noise while maintaining clear traffic sounds for safety.
Beyond environmental sound enhancement, the hearing aid mode includes “Hearing Assistance” for device audio, enhancing volume selectively during video playback, music, or calls.
While users may need time to adjust, iPhone’s control center includes a dedicated panel for adjusting hearing enhancement intensity and toggling various hearing assistance features.
This integration reveals Apple’s long-term vision for AirPods as hearing aids. Six years ago, the “Live Listen” feature migrated from hearing aids to AirPods.
In 2021, AirPods Pro introduced “Conversation Boost,” helping users hear face-to-face conversations better while reducing background noise.
Medical research supports AirPods’ potential as hearing aids. Yonsei University Medical School tested 35 patients with mild-to-moderate hearing loss, finding that even pre-upgrade AirPods Pro matched consumer-grade personal sound amplification devices.
The clinical-grade hearing aid function became FDA-approved as the first over-the-counter hearing aid software, changing industry dynamics.
The Beginning of Change
Hearing aids are expensive.
In the US, basic sound amplifiers start at 300, while mainstream OTC hearing aids like Jabra cost over 1,000.
AirPods Pro 2, offering hearing tests and personalized enhancement for mild to moderate hearing loss, costs $250 in the US, with even lower prices through third-party sellers.
The situation in China is more complex. Basic amplifiers cost under 1000 yuan, mainstream entry-level and mid-range hearing aids cost 2,000-7,000 yuan per unit, and high-end products exceed 10,000 yuan per unit. AirPods Pro 2 retails for 1899 yuan in China, available for around 1500 yuan on e-commerce platforms.
Beyond cost savings, AirPods Pro 2 offers better user experience. Most hearing aids have multiple buttons and unintuitive adjustments, with Bluetooth as an expensive add-on. AirPods Pro 2 includes hearing tests, intuitive iPhone controls, and quality Bluetooth audio.
Crucially, AirPods Pro 2 doesn’t carry the stigma of traditional hearing aids.
“Grandmother watches TV with AirPods, and it works great. While wearing them, she doesn’t feel like a patient.”
The Indian developers noted in their blog.
Yonsei University Medical School’s research stated:
“Barriers to hearing aid use include high cost, stigma, and negative perceptions. AirPods can eliminate these barriers and serve as an economical and clinically effective option for hearing rehabilitation.”
But AirPods represents more than just an alternative – it’s revolutionizing hearing health.
WHO data shows over 1.5 billion people globally have hearing loss, with 430 million at risk of hearing disability.
Hearing loss often goes unnoticed due to gradual deterioration. Apple’s research shows 80% of Americans haven’t had hearing tests in five years, and globally, 75% of diagnosed patients lack needed support.
In China, Tencent data shows about 63 million elderly need hearing aids, but only 6.5% use them. 67% are unaware of their hearing decline, and only 7.4% have had hearing tests.
When millions of AirPods Pro 2 users worldwide can take reliable hearing tests at home in 5-10 minutes, it marks significant progress in global hearing health.
▲ Source: Tencent Senior Hearing Health
However, AirPods Pro 2 isn’t replacing traditional hearing aids. As an OTC device, it’s limited to mild-to-moderate hearing loss cases.
Compared to traditional hearing aids, AirPods Pro 2’s earbud design may be less comfortable for extended wear, and its 6-hour battery life with hearing aid features falls short of traditional devices.
The biggest limitation: due to clinical medical functionality requirements, not all regions can access this feature, including mainland China.
Making Help Available to Those Who Need It
In his final days battling cancer, Steve Jobs’ interactions with doctors and medical systems inspired ideas about connecting patients, medical data, and healthcare systems, and creating mobile personal health tracking devices.
While Jobs didn’t see these ideas materialize, Apple Watch has created an accessible, convenient health management system helping people understand their health status and identify potential risks.
Now, AirPods extends beyond Jobs’ vision, not only detecting and recording hearing health but serving as an OTC clinical-grade medical device.
As globally widespread wearable devices, wireless earbuds carry greater expectations.
In 2019, we predicted AirPods would incorporate hearing aid inspiration and integrate AI and full-body health monitoring.
▲ BOSE SoundSport Pulse headphones with heart rate monitoring
While AI earbuds are emerging and health monitoring features are being explored, hearing aid functionality already helps users with mild hearing loss get quick assistance.
Though the hearing aid feature isn’t available in mainland China yet, Apple is just the pioneer. More manufacturers are focusing on hearing health.
The same day Apple announced AirPods’ hearing aid feature, Tencent’s hearing health-focused “Tianlai Lab” launched hearing test and aid service solutions, potentially extending to TWS wireless earbuds compatible with Android phones.
Last year, Tencent’s SSV Senior Tech Lab launched a “Senior Hearing Health” mini program testing users’ minimum audible sounds at various frequencies in quiet environments.
After AirPods’ hearing aid announcement, many Chinese users called for domestic brands to follow suit.
Given domestic manufacturers’ rapid development in wearable health and accessibility features, related functions and products should emerge soon.
Helping those in need access appropriate assistance demonstrates technology’s true value.
As the year ends, consider taking a hearing test with your parents when you return home for the holidays.