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Apple Releases New AirPods Pro 2 Firmware Ahead of Hearing Aid Feature Launch

The Reason said:
Just ran it twice, with the stock silicone tips, and some nicer foam ones. Little to no loss in both tests. I'm a bit stunned by this, as I don't consider myself to have good hearing at all.
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It's always good to visit an actual audiologist, if possible. The ones at Walmart or Target is a good start! Get a head start on hearing loss, take it from me.
 
tobybrut said:
I’m positive the 7B13d firmware version is a mistake, likely a beta version Apple accidentally set as a release version. I set my AirPods Pro 2 that had been updated to this version back on the charger. After about fifteen minutes, I heard the case beep as the AirPods rebooted. It is now on the correct version, 7B19.

I do find it odd that the release notes say that this release is intended to enable the hearing features since I was able to access them on the older firmware with iOS 18.1 release candidate. Maybe the RC is different from the official 18.1 public release and that firmware does some additional checking for OS version.
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7B13d was in fact a beta.
 
CharlieBrown-DE said:
I am in Germany, phone set to German.
Yesterday evening i updated to 3B19. Case is 71.7.0.
I have the buttons to do the test and activate hearing aid.
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And just 10 minute ago my charging case gave this annoying R2D2 sound and now I am on 7B19 with Case 71.7.0, as you are.

So Apple just was slow to update the national page.
 
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I finally got 7B19
It didn’t happen until I put my AirPods Pro 2 on my charging base and let it sit for an hour then I checked and I have the new firmware.
 
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ZeChild said:
Has anyone outside the US seen this in settings, as far as I can tell it’s US only even if you set the device to US for both language and region, kinda makes sense the UK hasn’t signed off on it yet like the US regulators did, just checking though?
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I am an American living in Mexico, my phone has always been set to region = US. I have the latest AirPods firmware and I’m running iOS 18.1 RC. I do not have access to the hearing health features. I assume this is because the phone knows I am outside US soil… Although I don’t understand how so many people located in Europe are reporting their features are available now.
 
Hm I still don't see the hearing test in this release and 18.1 RC in Canada
 
palmerized said:
Same. Running 18.1 RC and the latest AirPods Pro 2 firmware and don’t see it. My region is set to US tho’ so I get the Apple Intelligence features. Odd.
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The AirPods Pro 1 and 2 always had a hearing aid feature in transparency mode that utilized audiograms from the Mimi app via the Health app. I found this feature inadequate for my own hearing loss (mostly not enough amplification). I hope this highly touted upgrade will be a game changer for me. Does anyone know the salient features of the new update vis a vis the older version?
 
cookiemonster89 said:
What does the hearing Protection Feature makes different than the current mode? The AirPods Pro 2 alresdy reduce Louis [sic] Noise.
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DoctorTim said:
I’ve been wondering this same thing. How is it different?
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this is either wishful thinking or a rough approximation based on what was implied during the keynote: I’d imagine the audiogram generated after doing a hearing test on iOS informs the Hearing Protection feature, making it higher-quality (i.e. louder background noise is quieted while sound closer to you is amplified). sadly, @Nathan King seems to have verified this is not *yet* the case, although hopefully that will change.

part of me also thinks this is just Apple finally saying the quiet part out loud. I started wearing AirPods with Adaptive mode on when I’m at loud events and never looked back. they are incredibly effective earplugs that (for the most part) allow one to hear someone next to them in a loud, crowded environment without the other straight-up yelling. just don’t think they wanted to advertise that without also having the whole “FDA-approved hearing aid” thing all said and done.
 
MrGuder said:
Waiting for someone to review the hearing aid feature since 18.1 is out now.
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First it tests the fit of the AirPods, then ambient noise. After that it plays different frequencies and volume levels for the left ear, then the right. It plays each sound three times and if you hear it, you press the screen. Afterwards, it provides the results with explanation. Straightforward and it gives you a graph that you could share with a doctor/audiologist if the result indicates hearing loss.
 
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MacBird said:
First it tests the fit of the AirPods, then ambient noise. After that it plays different frequencies and volume levels for the left ear, then the right. It plays each sound three times and if you hear it, you press the screen. Afterwards, it provides the results with explanation. Straightforward and it gives you a graph that you could share with a doctor/audiologist if the result indicates hearing loss.
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Is 3 samples of sound for each ear really enough to determine your level of hearing? If you have ever gone to an audiologist they play loads of sounds in each ear including word read back and white noise in one ear while they test level of hearing sounds in the other. Far away sounds vs closer sounds. This gauges much more accurate reading.

I’m quite surprised they are only using 3 sounds per ear. Doesn’t sound like an accurate reading.
 
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MrGuder said:
Is 3 samples of sound for each ear really enough to determine your level of hearing? If you have ever gone to an audiologist they play loads of sounds in each ear including word read back and white noise in one ear while they test level of hearing sounds in the other. Far away sounds vs closer sounds. This gauges much more accurate reading.

I’m quite surprised they are only using 3 sounds per ear. Doesn’t sound like an accurate reading.
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As far as I can see, it's 8 different sound frequencies per ear, played at different volumes until you cannot hear it anymore. It's very reliable. My hearing test with an audiologist was just the same.

What you had (with white noise and word read back) was a different kind of test.
 
MrGuder said:
Is 3 samples of sound for each ear really enough to determine your level of hearing? If you have ever gone to an audiologist they play loads of sounds in each ear including word read back and white noise in one ear while they test level of hearing sounds in the other. Far away sounds vs closer sounds. This gauges much more accurate reading.

I’m quite surprised they are only using 3 sounds per ear. Doesn’t sound like an accurate reading.
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Each frequency is played 3 times, according to the graph 8 different frequencies between 250 Hz and 8 kHz and at different volumes.
 
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I’ll have to try this later tonight when I can download 18.1 on WiFi and see how it compares to my audiologist graph I had 4 months ago.
 
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