The FCC has announced new requirements for all smartphones to be compatible with all Bluetooth hearing aids, and one unusual implication is that this will include the AirPods Pro 2.
It will also require iPhones to support all Bluetooth hearing aids, not just MFi …
New FCC Hearing Aid Rules
Today, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) officially adopted new rules.
100% of all cell phones, such as smartphones, must be compatible with hearing aids. With this change, 48 million Americans with hearing loss will have the same choice of cell phones available to all consumers.
Apple's support page notes that iPhones support MFi-certified hearing aids.
You can use MFi hearing aids or sound processors with iPhone and customize their settings. For a list of models that work well with iPhone, see the Apple Support article “Designed for iPhone-compatible hearing aids.”
However, the FCC requirement would require expanding support to all Bluetooth hearing aids, both clinical and over-the-counter (OTC).
The commission also established a Bluetooth pairing requirement that would benefit consumers by providing a more universal connection between mobile phones and hearing aids, including over-the-counter hearing aids, by encouraging phone makers to move away from proprietary Bluetooth pairing standards.
Includes AirPods Pro 2
Since the AirPods Pro 2 now qualify as over-the-counter hearing aids, Engadget notes that this will require Android phone makers to ensure that the AirPods Pro 2 can be used with them in hearing aid mode.
The rule even applies to newly approved over-the-counter hearing aids, which now includes the AirPods Pro 2.
Last month, Apple announced that hearing aid mode would be coming in a software update later this year.
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- Using AirPods Pro 2 as a Hearing Aid Is Better Than a Standalone OTC Device
Photo: GN Group on Unsplash
