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New AirPods Pro Firmware Enables Conversation Boost, Here's How to Turn It On
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Just another tool to cross-use the AirPods for a feature that some people will absolutely use.
Its not necessarily a health feature, but it’s definitely useful for people that do have some type of hearing complications. It’s like the Apple Watch for example, which is used primarily for communication and fitness, but Apple also implemented even a wheelchair capability for the handicap.
That’s how you reach a broader demographic with your product with tweaks and changes like this.
Its not necessarily a health feature, but it’s definitely useful for people that do have some type of hearing complications. It’s like the Apple Watch for example, which is used primarily for communication and fitness, but Apple also implemented even a wheelchair capability for the handicap.
That’s how you reach a broader demographic with your product with tweaks and changes like this.
I agree, hearing aids are way over-priced. Especially, since Medicare doesn't recognize them as essential. Apple's capabilities to create AirPods with similar features. There must be some other reason Apple doesn't compete in this area more. This is a start. At least for those within the Apple ecosystem and an iPhone in their pocket.
My understanding is that Transparency mode is only a feature of AirPods Pro. See https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210643 .
Does anyone else not have this option with the Airpod Pro FW updated ?
*edit* Nevermind - I see it now. Need to have at least one of the pods in your ear to enable this feature!
*edit* Nevermind - I see it now. Need to have at least one of the pods in your ear to enable this feature!
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Hearables and Smart Tech Can Help With Mild Hearing Loss
Hearing aids are expensive, and OTC versions are still on hold. But new technologies can help, including earbuds and devices that work with your phone.
Apple’s move here is expansive but also partially defensive.
There are many folks who, if they have mild hearing loss and wear aids, are essentially excluded from using (and more essentially from buying) a set of AirPods.
if Apple can displace those aids for such customers by offering Convo Boost, apple can expand its market.
And as the word spreads, Apple stands to acquire customers who have not yet purchased a set of aids.
It all comes down to the fact that it’s a battle for ear real estate and if that real estate is populated by another device it wouldn’t easily have been accessible to apple.
By offering Convo Boost, Apple can access this demographic before it purchases aids and becomes, at least, partially inaccessible.
A practical side benefit is that by capturing this demographic, Apple will remove turnover from aids manufacturers, the result will be harder competition, and consolidation, to maintain that turnover. It should result in lower prices and better product from aids manufacturers.
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As one who has used hearing aids for more than 30 years it doesn’t help just to turn it up in most cases. Most have a particular frequency loss so the hearing aid needs to boost just certain frequencies kinda like using a equalizer. I imagine this will help a lot of people hear a little better but simply can’t do what hearing aids do (nor are they expected to). I’m curious if it helps me and will check it out. To be honest, it’s exhausting wearing them sometimes and it’s nice when I take them out and just be free of a lot of sound. 😆
I have diminished capabilities with a few freqs, this has to be better than nothing lol. I would enjoy the quiet I'm sure but I unfortunately have tinnitus in both ears to keep me company.😫
I'd say it's EXACTLY like using a equalizer, which is why I find it so annoying that hearing aid manufacturers continue to charge so much for them, when the technology for turning a good quality headphone into hearing aids is sitting right there in our smartphones.
And Apple does allow you to calibrate the assisted hearing feature to your particular hearing loss. I haven't had a chance to try the conversation boost feature yet, but I'm hoping Apple would have the sense to carry over the calibrating function from assisted hearing to conversation boost.
Looking forward to seeing more information. I have new hearing aids. I'm cautiously optimistic.
I've had hearing aids for almost 20 years. What I've learned--the person who sets them up is more important than the brand I got. My last audiologist could make a good hearing aid work really badly.My new audiologist is incredible.
I've had hearing aids for almost 20 years. What I've learned--the person who sets them up is more important than the brand I got. My last audiologist could make a good hearing aid work really badly.My new audiologist is incredible.
You can enter a photo of your hearing test audiogram in Settings > Accessibility > Audio/Visual > Headphone Accommodations. After I did this when I'm wearing my AirPods Pro and they're not in noise cancelling mode I feel like my ears are super sensitive. If you've ever read Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn books, I feel like I'm burning tin. My ears can hear every little rustle of my bed sheets and other things that I didn't even know made sound. It's kind of novel and fun.
However, in a crowded room I haven't really noticed an improved ability to converse with the person right in front of me. The beam forming is a nice idea but for me it hasn't made me more able to hear the sounds I want to hear.
I did have an interesting experience, though. I was outdoors and there weren't a lot of people around. But I could hear three women about sixty feet away having a quiet conversation. It was pretty incredible. I felt like I was spying on them.
However, in a crowded room I haven't really noticed an improved ability to converse with the person right in front of me. The beam forming is a nice idea but for me it hasn't made me more able to hear the sounds I want to hear.
I did have an interesting experience, though. I was outdoors and there weren't a lot of people around. But I could hear three women about sixty feet away having a quiet conversation. It was pretty incredible. I felt like I was spying on them.
Apple's microphones can pick up surprising things. Not quite the same, but my 7yo niece has recently realized she can give commands to my HomePod mini when we're on a FaceTime call, with mostly hilarious results (though one time a bungled attempt to change a timer caused Siri to set an alarm for 1am, named "Timer" - that one wasn't so much fun). And I can control the lights by voice from a couple (small) rooms away, quite readily. Both of those situations surprised me.
Thanks for your post. I had to replace hearing aids that didn't suit me. I considered getting AirPods Pro and giving them a try. Told the audiologist that I thought it was the way of the future. ;-)
Just upgraded to AirPods Pro 2nd Generation, its nice transparency is built into the sound mode menu by default now..