Whereas we didn’t get new AirPods Professional {hardware} this yr, Apple added some important new options in iOS 18. Throughout its September Glowtime occasion, it additionally took the time to announce a complete listening to well being resolution for its premium earbuds.
With iOS 18.1 and the required firmware updates, Apple’s AirPods Professional 2 can carry out clinical-grade listening to exams, supply superior listening to safety, and even be utilized in listening to aids. Nevertheless, like many well being options, these are restricted to international locations the place they’ve been accepted by the right regulatory authorities.
Listening to safety options for the AirPods Professional have been rumored for years and gained new steam after the US Meals and Drug Administration (FDA) issued new rules approving over-the-counter listening to aids. Beforehand, heading aids required a prescription from an audiologist, and in lots of international locations, they nonetheless do.
Nevertheless, even in September, when Apple’s VP of Well being, Dr. Sumbal Desai, took the stage to debate the corporate’s new listening to well being options, it hadn’t but acquired approval from the FDA. Dr. Desai stated that clearance was anticipated to occur “quickly,” and true to her phrase, the FDA greenlit the expertise solely three days after the Apple occasion, making the AirPods Professional the “first over-the-counter listening to assist software program.”
That wasn’t fairly quick sufficient for it to reach in iOS 18.0, however by the point iOS 18.1 landed in late October, the trifecta of listening to well being options was able to be rolled out within the US.
Sadly, the identical couldn’t be stated for many different international locations, which acquired a mishmash of the options, topic to no matter their respective governments had accepted. Germany and Japan have been two of the few international locations to get each the Listening to Help and Listening to Check options, whereas Australia and the UK acquired nothing new in any respect. In the meantime, the third function, Listening to Safety, was restricted to the US and Canada — however that’s all that Canada acquired (it’s nonetheless a little bit of a thriller why Listening to Safety is so restricted, because it appears the least seemingly of the three to be affected by well being rules).
Fortunately, that’s about to vary. As MacRumors found at the moment, Well being Canada has issued licenses for each the listening to assist and listening to take a look at options, which suggests Apple is obvious to launch them within the Nice White North.
Nevertheless, the timing of this couldn’t be extra ironic. These new clearances come a day after iOS 18.2 was launched to the general public. This introduced the listening to assist function to the United Arab Emirates and expanded the listening to take a look at to France, Italy, Luxembourg, Romania, Spain, Cyprus, Czechia, and the UK—however not Canada, because the approval got here too late to make the lower.
Whereas Apple may theoretically launch the function in a sub-point launch like iOS 18.2.1, it’s seemingly Canadians gained’t see a listening to assist and listening to exams arrive till iOS 18.3 arrives early subsequent yr. Whereas the primary developer betas of iOS 18.3 would sometimes observe this week’s iOS 18.2 launch briefly order, Apple could select to attend till after the vacations to push out the following spherical of betas.