Can Apple’s newest AirPods work as clinical-grade hearing aids?

Apple’s big September event this week debuted a host of new product announcements, and among them was the newest iteration of its popular AirPods wireless earbuds. One of the new features of the new AirPods Pro 2 reportedly turns them into “clinical-grade” hearing aids.

When enabled, the feature enhances certain sounds in the wearer’s environment, like voices. The feature isn’t yet cleared by the Food and Drug Administration, but Apple says it expects that to happen soon.

But that isn’t the only hearing-related feature of the AirPods Pro 2. When paired with a device running iOS 18, the earbuds will be able to conduct a five-minute certified hearing test. Using “large-scale real-world data,” Apple has been conducting hearing studies in order to develop the feature. The results of the test will be presented in a personalized hearing profile accessible from the Apple Health app, and you’ll even have the option to share them with your health-care provider.