Apple Launches Pioneering Hearing Health Features, with a Special Note for Those of Us with Severe Hearing Loss
Apple Launches Pioneering Hearing Health Features, with a Special Note for Those of Us with Severe Hearing Loss
As someone who is severely deaf, I am particularly excited about Apple’s latest innovations aimed at revolutionising hearing health. Apple has introduced groundbreaking features in AirPods Pro 2 and Apple Watch, designed to enhance hearing health and support those with hearing challenges. While AirPods Pro 2’s new features are not yet tailored to accommodate my specific level of hearing loss, the advancements represent a significant leap forward and offer hope that future iterations might cater to more profound hearing needs.
Transformative Hearing Health Experience
Apple’s new AirPods Pro 2 include the world’s first all-in-one hearing health experience, featuring a clinical-grade Hearing Test, Hearing Aid functionality, and Hearing Protection. For individuals with mild to moderate hearing loss, the Hearing Aid feature offers a more accessible and affordable option than traditional solutions. This innovative tool is designed to seamlessly integrate into daily life, providing real-time adjustments to enhance the listening experience, whether during conversations or while enjoying media.
The Hearing Test, based on pure-tone audiometry, allows users to evaluate their hearing from the comfort of their home. While it’s not yet suitable for those with severe hearing loss like myself, I am hopeful that future developments may address these needs, providing even more excellent support for everyone affected by hearing challenges.
Protecting Your Hearing Health
AirPods Pro 2 also introduce Hearing Protection, which helps shield your ears from harmful noise while maintaining sound quality. This feature is ideal for protecting against excessive environmental noise, such as at concerts or in other loud settings.
A Step Towards Greater Accessibility
Apple’s commitment to hearing health extends to increasing awareness and prevention. The Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features are grounded in the findings from the Apple Hearing Study, underscoring the need for better solutions for hearing loss. Although these features may not currently address all levels of hearing loss, the continued innovation gives hope for future advancements that could make a significant difference.
New Sleep Apnea Notifications
In addition to the hearing-focused updates, Apple Watch now offers a new “Breathing Disturbances” metric to help detect signs of sleep apnea. This feature aims to support users by alerting them to potential sleep apnea symptoms, which could be a valuable tool for many. The sleep apnea notifications will be available in over 150 countries starting this month, including the UK, the EU, and Japan.
Privacy and Availability
Apple remains dedicated to user privacy, with all health data encrypted and securely stored. The new hearing and sleep apnea features will be available this autumn, with further details on availability and device compatibility provided on Apple’s support website.
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Joanne Carter
Joanne Carter, creator of the world’s most popular mobile photography and art website— TheAppWhisperer.com— TheAppWhisperer platform has been a pivotal cyberspace for mobile artists of all abilities to learn about, to explore, to celebrate and to share mobile artworks. Joanne’s compassion, inclusivity, and humility are hallmarks in all that she does, and is particularly evident in the platform she has built. In her words, “We all have the potential to remove ourselves from the centre of any circle and to expand a sphere of compassion outward; to include everyone interested in mobile art, ensuring every artist is within reach”, she has said. Promotion of mobile artists and the art form as a primary medium in today’s art world, has become her life’s focus. She has presented lectures bolstering mobile artists and their art from as far away as the Museum of Art in Seoul, South Korea to closer to her home in the UK at Focus on Imaging. Her experience as a jurist for mobile art competitions includes: Portugal, Canada, US, S Korea, UK and Italy. And her travels pioneering the breadth of mobile art includes key events in: Frankfurt, Naples, Amalfi Coast, Paris, Brazil, London. Pioneering the world’s first mobile art online gallery - TheAppWhispererPrintSales.com has extended her reach even further, shipping from London, UK to clients in the US, Europe and The Far East to a global group of collectors looking for exclusive art to hang in their homes and offices. The online gallery specialises in prints for discerning collectors of unique, previously unseen signed limited edition art. Her journey towards becoming The App Whisperer, includes (but is not limited to) working for a paparazzi photo agency for several years and as a deputy editor for a photo print magazine. Her own freelance photographic journalistic work is also widely acclaimed. She has been published extensively both within the UK and the US in national and international titles. These include The Times, The Sunday Times, The Guardian, Popular Photography & Imaging, dpreview, NikonPro, Which? and more recently with the BBC as a Contributor, Columnist at Vogue Italia and Contributing Editor at LensCulture. Her professional photography has also been widely exhibited throughout Europe, including Italy, Portugal and the UK. She is currently writing several books, all related to mobile art and is always open to requests for new commissions for either writing or photography projects or a combination of both. Please contact her at: [email protected]
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