The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approved the Apple AirPods Pro 2 model to test hearing and as an aid for mild to moderate hearing loss in Australians over 18. 

Apple has since pushed out this update, which will allow users to test their hearing through the Health app and adjust the settings to suit their needs. 

It is worth noting that the service has a similar capability to over-the-counter hearing devices and is best suited for people with mild to moderate hearing loss. 

With the AirPods costing $399, they may become a much more cost-effective alternative to hearing aids, which can cost thousands of dollars. 

This price point will hopefully make hearing assistance more accessible to those with mild hearing loss. 

Steve Williamson, the chief executive of Deafness Forum Australia, has indicated that the AirPods could be a great way for people with mild hearing loss to have a less-stigmatised entry point for aids. However, he also noted that they may not be the best option for everyone. 

Williamson reinforced that “these devices are not a substitute for a comprehensive hearing assessment by an audiologist.”

Dr Nicky Chong-White, the National Acoustic Laboratories principal engineer, spoke about how the Airpods are great for people who are “not ready to get hearing aids, but do need hearing help.”

Chong is optimistic about the AirPods' release, hoping that it will prompt Australians to take their hearing more seriously.

She says, “It is raising that awareness of hearing, and then people might try them and go, ‘Oh, this isn’t strong enough for me, or I need all these fancy features that you can only get in the high-end hearing aids’, and it’s getting them into the clinic and having that conversation.”

With only one in five people who could benefit from hearing aids actually wearing them, the Apple device might be the way to make hearing aids and getting your hearing checked “cool”.