AirPods Pro will get a new “hearing aid mode” when iOS 18 is released later this year, according to Bloomberg's Mark Garman. MacRumors reports: In the subscriber edition of his regular Power On newsletter, Garman said the “big news” for AirPods Pro in the near future will be support for hearing aid-style features when iOS 18 is released in the fall. I claim that it will. To be clear, this isn't the first time we've heard that AirPods Pro could come with hearing aid functionality. The rumor first appeared in a 2021 Wall Street Journal report, but it was previously mentioned as a feature exclusive to the next generation of AirPods Pro models. However, Apple released the second generation AirPods Pro in September 2022, and more recently released an updated model with a USB-C port.
AirPods Pro already offer a conversation boost feature that increases the volume and clarity of people in front of the wearer, but Apple isn't promoting the earbuds as hearing aids. This is because this requires FDA regulatory approval. According to the FDA, a hearing aid is defined as “a wearable device designed, provided, or serving to assist or supplement the hearing of persons with hearing loss.” This definition includes both air conduction devices and bone conduction devices of various styles (e.g., worn behind the ear, in the ear, or on the body). […] It's not yet clear whether Apple needs FDA permission to make explicit or implicit claims about the rumored “hearing aid mode,” and the mode may not even adopt this exact name. For example, if Apple subsequently proposes that AirPods Pro be used by users with certain types or severe hearing loss/impairment or as a replacement for hearing aids, such marketing would require FDA regulatory approval. It will be.
