Apples' AirPods as the next health device

Northridge, CA - Apple has reportedly announced last week they are exploring different ways to use their wireless earbuds, AirPods, as a health device that could potentially be used as hearing aids.

Stock Photo. Man wearing AirPods, Apple's wireless earbuds that are panned by many as a pricey accessory rather than a bluetooth device.

Just when you thought there couldn’t possibly be more ways that your smart device would be more intertwined in your daily life, it is now becoming an extension of our body.

Apple is currently studying the potential of Airpods, their very own wireless earbuds, as the next health device. The earbuds could potentially have the new features of a thermometer, knowing your posture and the ability to be used as hearing aids.

AirPods Pro, Apple’s newest and higher-end earbuds, offers a feature to improve hearing. The latest feature is called “conversation boost,” this launched a little over a week ago.

The feature increases the volume and conversation clarity of any person or people in front of the wearer and makes it easier to hear in a face-to-face conversation.

While the success of this feature is yet to be seen, many of the proposed features reveal how the company is actively working on the next big health push starting with their AirPods.

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Using the device as a hearing aid has grabbed many people’s interest in how exactly will Apple execute their vision and how will those that have hearing impairments or hard of hearing will be able to use the device.

Photo Creds: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders

Offering AirPods as hearing aids could significantly expand sales. Millions of people suffer from hearing loss, including many whose impairment is less severeand choose not to treat it, experts from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association say.

AirPods may not yet be suited for some that have impairments or are hard of hearing because they don’t have all-day battery life.

AirPods can’t be marketed as hearing aids today because of federal regulations that date back decades to when many hearing aids were unsafe or ineffective. Those restrictions require the devices to be sold through licensed hearing specialists who tune the hearing aids specifically to the wearer.

The proposed AirPods features for health purposes don't have a release date on when they offer it to the public and won't be for anytime soon, but are currently in the works.

AUDIO

Leslie Valle explains what exactly are AirPods.

By, Leslie Valle

Contributions from The Wall Street Journal, ASHA

Audio, Leslie Valle

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