Apple's surprising new AirPods hearing aid feature might actually be a success

• Apple's AirPods Pro 2 now feature FDA-approved hearing aid capabilities.
• A hearing loss expert predicts the tech will do well as people test it out.
• Priced at $249, AirPods Pro 2 offer a cost-effective alternative to traditional hearing aids.

Apple is adding hearing aids to its ecosystem, and it could be a game changer.

The Hearing Aid feature in Apple's AirPods Pro 2 is designed for people with mild to moderate hearing loss, and Apple said it can amplify voices, phone calls, and media sounds.

While the Food and Drug Administration approved the Hearing Aid feature on September 14, I was skeptical of how well the tech would work in the real world. Your boss might wonder why you're rudely wearing earphones during a team meeting, for example, or people might think you're listening to music or on a call when they want to talk to you.

So I sought out an expert in the hearing loss community to get a better understanding of whether we should expect Apple's hearing aids to be a hit or miss. Katherine Bouton, an author who works with the Hearing Loss Association of America, helped shed some light on how the tech giant's target audience received the announcement.

Spoiler alert: I was wrong, and this sounds like something hard of hearing people need.

Apple is providing a more affordable option

Bouton, who lives with hearing loss herself, said she paid $3,000 for her first hearing aid about 30 years ago, and they haven't gotten any cheaper. The AirPods Pro 2 are available now for $249.

"I think they should do, probably, really, really well. The price is excellent," Bouton said.

The Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act of 2017 made it legal for the FDA to regulate the sale of hearing aids that don't require a prescription or a trip to the audiologist. Federal officials approved the sale of OTC hearing aids in 2022. As a result, companies like Costco, Walmart, and Bose have capitalized on the new market.

Bouton said OTC hearing aids can save consumers thousands. The AirPods Pro 2 retail for a fraction of the cost of prescription hearing aids, which can cost over $3,000 for each ear.

And if they don't work for you, you can easily return them to Apple.

"Up to this point, if you pay $249 for something that called itself a hearing aid, it was very likely not to be something you should be putting your ear," Bouton said.

Readily available hearing tests are also a plus

There were just over 13,000 audiologists in the US as of May 2023, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For comparison, there were over 40,000 optometrists at the same time.

It's an issue that Bouton said makes it hard for adults to get hearing tests as often as they should, if at all. Apple's "accurate, fast, and easy" test using the AirPods Pro 2 plays a series of sounds, it says, and can be done on your own time.

AirPods could be a good first step for those experiencing hearing loss

"The stigma of hearing aids really is just completely entangled with the stigma of age," Bouton said.

When I asked about how earbuds might be perceived as a sign not to bother a person, Bouton said she considers them more inviting than over-the-ear headphones.

As the daughter of a woman who suffers from hearing loss, I've witnessed my mother's denial of her struggles.

Speaking with Bouton helped me realize that people under 60, like my mother, might feel more comfortable trying out the Hearing Aid feature on their new AirPods as a first step in their audiological healthcare.

With these new AirPods, Bouton said hard-of-hearing people can "buy a pair of earbuds and look like they're 18 years old and then be able to hear better again."