AirPods Pro 2 as hearing protection: initially only in Canada and the USA
Apple's new features for the AirPods announced in the summer will soon be available thanks to new firmware. However, this only applies to individual markets.
Apple's AirPods Pro: New firmware, new possibilities.
(Image: Apple)
Thanks to the H2 digital signal processor, Apple's second-generation AirPods Pro will be able to become a hearing aid for mild to moderate cases for the first time from next week in conjunction with the updates to iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1 and macOS 15.1. There are also new hearing tests and so-called extended hearing protection, which is designed to protect AirPods Pro 2 wearers from noise-induced hearing damage. However, Apple has now announced that this feature will initially only be available in two markets: the USA and Canada. This can be found on Apple's official website.
Not suitable for the shooting range
A new algorithm is actually intended to ensure that concerts and live events continue to sound "normal" despite attenuation to the hearing protection, which is around 20 to 30 decibels. According to Apple, the hearing protection is designed for loud environments with up to around 110 dB(A). This does not provide protection against sudden loud noises, such as a loud bang: "The hearing protection function is not suitable for protection against extremely loud impulse noises, such as gunshots, fireworks or jackhammers, or against sustained noises louder than 110 dBA", so the AirPods Pro cannot be used on the shooting range, for example.
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It initially remained unclear why Apple was unable to release the function outside the USA and Canada. It is possible, at least according to rumors, that the company would like to obtain approval for this first in order to be protected from possible lawsuits. Hearing test and hearing aid features are explicitly approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), meaning that the AirPods Pro 2 are considered "clinical grade hearing aids".
Nodding and shaking heads
Apple had previously equipped the AirPods with a new gesture function. These are available on the AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2 and allow you to accept or reject calls by nodding or shaking your head.
You can also respond to requests from the voice assistant Siri. The necessary firmware has been available since last week and is gradually being installed on the devices – The latest operating system must also be running on the iPhone. Apple also released new firmware updates for the AirPods Pro 1, AirPods 2 and 3 and the AirPods Max with Lightning on Tuesday. The company did not disclose what exactly is new here.
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