Apple’s AirPods Professional 2 now let customers in France take a look at their listening to and scale back loud noises, however the listening to assist characteristic is caught in regulatory limbo.
Apple has launched new health-focused capabilities for the AirPods Professional 2, together with a listening to take a look at and loud sound discount. Nonetheless, a vital characteristic — listening to assist performance — stays unavailable in France as a consequence of regulatory restrictions.
In September 2024, the corporate launched new auditory options for its AirPods Professional sequence, coinciding with the launch of the iPhone 16. These updates purpose to boost listening to safety and supply corrective help for customers with various auditory wants.
One of many key improvements is Loud Sound Discount, designed to guard customers’ ears by mechanically dampening loud or intermittent noises. The characteristic acts like a noise-canceling mechanism, providing reduction in environments equivalent to busy subway stations or throughout giant public occasions.
One other main addition is the Listening to Take a look at, which permits customers to judge their listening to well being straight by way of the AirPods. The take a look at generates an in depth auditory report by taking part in low-volume tones and prompting customers to substantiate once they hear them. Apple claims this device offers outcomes similar to skilled audiometry exams.
Probably the most superior characteristic, Listening to Support Mode, adjusts ambient sound ranges in actual time based mostly on the outcomes of the listening to take a look at. By doing so, it mimics the performance of conventional listening to aids, providing personalised auditory correction.
Authorities rules
Whereas Apple has applied the listening to take a look at and loud sound discount options in France, the listening to assist mode stays inaccessible. Regulatory approval from well being authorities is required, and delays are anticipated till a minimum of 2025, based on Numerama.
France and different European nations have well being rules that restrict the implementation of options like listening to assist performance. Regardless of being out there in over 100 international locations since October 2024, the potential remains to be restricted in a number of EU areas.
AirPods Professional
Regulatory challenges stem from the machine’s classification, which overlaps with medical tools requirements. In lots of international locations, together with the EU, merchandise designed to diagnose, monitor, or appropriate listening to impairments should adjust to strict medical machine requirements.
These requirements embrace medical testing, security certifications, and approvals from well being authorities. For listening to aids or related gadgets, the Medical Machine Regulation (MDR) within the EU ensures merchandise meet security, efficacy, and high quality benchmarks earlier than advertising.
Apple’s listening to assist mode, which adjusts sound ranges based mostly on auditory take a look at information, seemingly falls beneath these stringent necessities. Till certifications are obtained, options like this can be unavailable in regulated markets like France.
The listening to take a look at is offered from iOS 18.1, and October 2024 firmware updates for the AirPods Professional 2. Customers can discover it within the Well being app or by way of AirPods settings.
