I got early access to Apple's AirPods Pro 2 hearing aid software, and it's clear Apple has something unique here.

Apple’s new clinical-grade diagnostics and hearing assistance are potential life changers. You just need to find them.

In November 2022, the FDA passed a resolution allowing Americans to purchase hearing aids over-the-counter. The move launched a mini-industry, with

The much-ballyhooed hearing health features for AirPods Pro Apple unveiled at last month’s event, touted as “the world’s first all-in-one hearing health experience,” will be available on Monday, October 28.

Apple will release iOS 18.1 next week, introducing a suite of advanced hearing health capabilities to the AirPods Pro 2 and the first

For those 18 years and older with mild to moderate hearing loss, the AirPods Pro 2 can now serve as a clinical-grade hearing aid. Once enabled, you can also toggle on a “Media Assist” setting that uses your hearing test results to optimize the sound of music, phone calls, and video content.

That said, Henry only had a few days with AirPods Pro, and he wants to try wearing them more outside to see if there’s a benefit to wearing them while talking with people in the context of daily interactions. He maintains that he was never against hearing aids before this, though my mother might argue differently.

Apple's hearing health software update for the AirPods Pro 2 arrives next week, turning the earbuds into hearing aids. CNET's Bridget Carey gets early access to try the hearing aid and hearing protection features,

It's been more than a month since I was in California for Apple's Keynote, where the health—er, tech—company announced a variety of well-being–focused updates that blew my mind, both as the Editor-of-Chief of Women's Health and a person who has been covering this space for more than 20 years.