Apple's upcoming iOS 18 update is bringing a variety of new features and AI capabilities, including for AirPods, reportedly known as a "hearing aid mode."
Mar Gurman, an insider in the industry, said that AirPods Pro will not see any hardware changes this year. He added that instead, the big news that would come is a major new hearing aid mode that would come alongside the new update.
New iOS 18 Update
AirPods already have a feature that is known as Live Listen, which Apple launched in parallel with the iOS 12 update in 2018. This particular feature turns an iPhone into a directional microphone that transmits audio captured by that device to AirPods in real-time. Over the years, a handful of testimonials showed that the feature was extremely useful.
The company also introduced a Conservation Boost capability to its AirPods Pro in 2021 that would boost mic pickup from directly in front of the user so that they can better hear someone who is talking to them, according to 9to5Mac.
In 2022, a study was conducted that showed that some of these exciting AirPods Pro features already compared relatively well to those provided by more expensive dedicated devices. Additionally, in that same year, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) established new guidelines.
These would allow for a category of hearing aids to be available for purchase over the counter. The hearing aid devices that fall under this category can be sold directly to consumers in stores or online without requiring a medical exam or a fitting by an audiologist.
More details on Apple's upcoming iOS 18 update remain unclear and this is not the first time that Gurman wrote about the company's plans to bring new hearing health features to AirPods. He reported last year that Apple was also working on a hearing test feature for future AirPods as well.
On top of new features for AirPods, the iOS 18 update is also planning to be big on artificial intelligence. There have been reports that the company's software engineering team was told to create as many AI features as possible for the new update, said CNET.
Potential AI Features
Other than that, the update is said to bring a more advanced Spotlight search tool and auto-generated playlists to Apple Music. There have also been reports that the company is working on a more sophisticated version of Siri.
The rumors come as current mobile devices made by Samsung and Google have already started to incorporate generative AI technology. This could possibly suggest that the same could be seen with Apple's products.
Apple's upgraded iPhone operating system is set to be announced at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) which is scheduled for June. Gurman also said that he was told that the iOS 18 is viewed within the company as one of the biggest updates, if not the biggest, in the history of Apple.
Among the rumored features to come to the new iOS upgrade is AI-enhanced Siri, which suggests that Apple is planning to follow in the footsteps of both Microsoft and Google. The new AI features could allow users' iPhones to have auto-completion and auto-summarizing features within various apps, according to Forbes.
