It might have seemed an inevitable development, but your AirPods can now double as hearing aids. The FDA has cleared Apple’s software update that turns iPhones into clinical-grade hearing tests—similar to the ones audiologists perform—and AirPods Pro 2 into hearing aids, if the test determines you have mild to moderate hearing loss. With the software and the Apple Health app, users can adjust the AirPods’ amplification levels to their specific needs, without having to invest in costly hearing aids. It’s Apple’s latest foray into optimizing the potential health uses of its devices, which chief operating officer Jeff Williams says the company views as “a moral responsibility to do more in this space, since so many people have our devices with them.”
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