Apple WWDC 2024: Where in the World Is “Hearing Aid Mode”?
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Marcie Jacobs, M.A., F-AAA
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Jun 22, 2024
The Apple Worldwide Developers Conference was last week, and with all the rumors about “Hearing Aid Mode,” I was exceptionally excited to watch and find out more about this groundbreaking potential feature.
However, amidst all the excitement about “Apple Intelligence,” Apple’s foray into AI for iPhone users, “Hearing Aid Mode” seems to have been entirely forgotten.
Instead, Apple introduced two new hearing-related features that look impressive but aren’t exactly the game-changer that many of us in the hearing aid industry were expecting.
Voice Isolation Feature
The first new feature uses the noise-cancellation capabilities already present in AirPods to help enhance call legibility. “Voice Isolation Feature” focuses on cutting out ambient noises to help those who struggle to maintain clear conversation in busy environments.
Music Haptics
Aimed specifically at people who are hard of hearing, “Music Haptics” will play taps and textures in sync with your music audio so that you can experience the music through both sound and tactile feedback. It’s an innovative new feature to allow people to feel the rhythm of their music.
Where Was “Hearing Aid Mode”?
Despite the accurate track record of many news outlets in predicting Apple news, the anticipated “Hearing Aid Mode” was nowhere to be seen during Apple’s WWDC. The prediction—and the feature’s absence from the conference entirely—caused a lot of excitement and speculation about what will happen next.
As we mentioned in our previous article about “Hearing Aid Mode,” the best hardware to partner with it is expected to be the third generation of the Apple AirPods Pro, predicted to be released in early 2025. Perhaps Apple held off on announcing “Hearing Aid Mode” until the predicted best device for it is announced as well.
Another possibility could be that they’re waiting to announce “Hearing Aid Mode” along with iOS 19 in 2025.
Apple could also be planning more hearing aid functionalities to be integrated across all their devices, greatly enhancing the user experience.
Hearing Health With Apple
Apple continues to make waves in health and wellness technology; ECG monitoring, blood oxygen level measurements, and fall detection are already available on their devices, and introducing the new “Voice Isolation Feature” and “Music Haptics” shows their ongoing commitment to accessibility advancements.
With or without “Hearing Aid Mode,” Apple keeps moving forward and working to improve the lives of those with hearing impairments. I for one am eager to try out the new features! As soon as they’re available, I’ll put them to the test with my own devices.
As we get more news about “Hearing Aid Mode” and other hearing-related tech advancements, I’ll be sure to keep you updated.
For questions about hearing care, or if you’d like to chat with a professional about your concerns, please feel free to request a callback or contact us at your closest clinic.
