Apple confirms AirPods Pro 2 will get new upgrade ‘in the coming weeks’

On By Littum

Updated January 20th with more details on the hearing health capability and an AirPods Pro 2 feature to help improve it.

Last fall’s hardware updates to Apple’s headphone line were focused on two new sets of AirPods and the AirPods Max with USB-C. The AirPods Pro 2 remained unchanged, but updated software was introduced, and now the UK will benefit from the cool hearing aid features in a matter of weeks. More details have now emerged about the feature and a neat extra that helps it work.

First, Matt Bolton at Tech Radar has confirmed why the hearing health features are limited to the AirPods Pro 2 and not the new AirPods Pro, which come in versions with or without active noise cancellation.

“Apple says this is because these models lack an in-ear seal to improve noise isolation, which is necessary for the technology to be effective. The condition also doesn’t come to earlier models of AirPods – although I’d expect it to would be part of the feature list on the AirPods Pro 3, which is rumored to arrive later in 2025,” explains Bolton.

AirPods Pro 2 has already unveiled the Hearing Test feature, allowing users to take a validated hearing test at home to see if they would benefit from hearing aid assistance.

But while these features are already live in the US, for example, some countries, including the UK, did not have regulations in place allowing the earbuds to be used as hearing aids.

UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: “Britain can be a powerhouse for medical technology, but only if we rip out pointless regulation that stifles innovation,” according to a report in Daily Telegraph.

The report also cited a statement from Apple. “With the new policy guidance from the UK Department of Health and Social Care, we look forward to bringing hearing aid functionality to AirPods Pro 2 in the coming weeks to help improve everyday life for so many UK users,” Apple said.

In other words, Apple will release an updated version of the software for the UK, probably in iOS 18, but possibly with new firmware for the AirPods Pro in the pipeline.

After that, AirPods Pro 2 can be used as a hearing aid to help those with mild to moderate hearing loss.

Oh, and about the neat extra: If you hear a bell from the AirPods Pro 2 case while it’s charging, it turns out that’s a feature designed to make sure the microphones and speakers are working properly, “for example, to help deliver high-quality hearing test results,” Apple says in a support guide.

Of course, the battery life cannot match ordinary hearing aids and must therefore be taken out to be recharged at regular intervals. And it can look like you’re listening to music or making a phone call when you wear them.

But for some people, having a visible hearing aid could overcome the social stigma while allowing them to hear better.

As for timing, Apple’s comment about “the coming weeks” suggests January or February to me. For some, this can be a real blessing.

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