According to rumours, Apple is planning on introducing ambitious changes to this year’s iOS 18 update. The latest report claims that one of the new features that will be added to the platform include the ability for customers to use their AirPods Pro as a hearing aid.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman purports that while we shouldn’t be expecting to see a hardware refresh with the earbuds, iOS 18 will come with a new “hearing aid mode” for the AirPods Pro. This will further build upon the several features the Pro already has in its arsenal to assist users with listening to the outside world while wearing the earbuds.
One of which is Live Listen, which was released in 2018 with iOS 12, that lets users use their iPhone as a directional microphone and gets audio from the phone in real time. A few years back, the company also added Conversation Boost, which enhances the voices of people talking in front of you while you’re using transparency mode so that you can hear them better. Last year, Gurman talked about how Apple is working on launching a hearing test for the AirPods Pro, which would screen for possible hearing issues.
Other new features expected for iOS 18 include the integration of generative AI into several facets of the platform. This includes Siri, the Messages app, Apple Music, and even Xcode to assist developers. While we don’t have a launch date from the tech giant yet, it usually unveils new iOS versions in September.
(Source: 9to5mac)
