AirPods Pro may get a hearing aid-style function when iOS arrives this year

In the subscriber edition of his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says that the “big news” for AirPods Pro in the near term will be support for a hearing aid-style function when iOS 18 arrives later this year.

Apple has added several hearing-focused features to the earbuds in recent years such as Live Listen and Conversation Boost, but they haven’t been approved by the FDA. Gurman thinks that, given Apple’s health objectives, AirPods will take on these sorts of functions “more officially” in the near future.

The tech giant obvious has big plans for future AirPods and AirPods Pros. For example, Apple has filed for a patent (number 20220382843) for “user identification using headphones.” It hints at future AirPod and Beats wearables that can identify who is wearing them — via a paired iPhone or Apple Watch— and adjust incoming audio, accordingly.

Gurman’s report isn’t the first speculation about such a feature. In October 2021, The Wall Street Journal  reported that future AirPods could serve as an “unofficial” hearing aid; the company couldn’t mark them as such. They could also monitor body temperature and posture.

The WSJ said this is part of Apple’s plans to makes the earbuds into a health device. The tech giant has the “ambition” of adding health and wellness features to devices beyond the Apple Watch,” the article added.