The world’s wealthiest man, billionaire entrepreneur, Mr Elon Musk has tweeted support for Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 hearing aid feature, calling it ‘cool’.
Meanwhile, Apple confirmed to Hearing Practitioner Australia today, 2 December 2024, that the hearing test and hearing aid features on the AirPods are currently not available in Australia.
Musk, the owner of X, formerly Twitter, tweeted, “This is cool” above a viral post he shared from Apple CEO Mr Tim Cook.
Cook tweeted: “I’m so proud of the many teams across Apple developing powerful technologies that are improving people’s lives. The Hearing Aid feature on AirPods Pro 2 uses your personalised sound profile so you can hear the moments that matter.”
Cook’s tweet accompanied a video of a father tuning into the ‘moments that matter’ throughout life – what his young daughter was saying. The man’s Apple AirPods Pro 2 hearing aid feature enabled him to hear her singing and playing her new Christmas present, a guitar.
The tweet gained 46.5 million views.
Apple unveiled the new technology in September 2024, claiming it will enable the earbuds to be used as a ‘clinical-grade over-the-counter hearing aid’ for adults with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss.
On 12 September 2024, America’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorised Apple’s hearing aid feature (HAF) as the first over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aid software device.
There have been mixed reactions worldwide but many in the hearing care industry claim it is a good idea because it raises awareness of hearing health and encourages people to test their hearing with a hearing test feature.
The consensus is that people whose hearing cannot be helped by the Apple hearing aid feature would then seek help from an audiologist, having been made aware of their hearing loss through the test.
Musk is also Tesla Motors CEO and co-lead of America’s Department of Government Efficiency newly created by President Elect Mr Donald Trump.
A spokesman for Australia’s Therapeutics Goods Administration told HPA that the TGA had not approved the hearing aid features in Apple’s new AirPods Pro 2 for use in Australia. He said the TGA could not disclose whether it had an application or the status of any application it may have because that information was confidential and protected by law.
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AirPods Pro 2 can be used as hearing aids for mild to moderate hearing loss Apple claims
