Phonak Sphere Infinio’s AI-driven DEEPSONIC chip,
Oticon intent’s advanced deep neural network with 4D sensor technology for adaptive audio.
These new AI-driven featured hearing aids are designed to enhance speech clarity in noisy environments without the need to stress more on users brain.
Apple Airpods Pro has all these features like spatial audio, motion sensor for head tracking, only thing thats missing is Apple Intelligence features for Airpods Pro. Apple has the technology to do deeper speech mapping in noisy environment, or further reduce/filter background noise and enhance speech clarity at the same time, but when?
Right now, Airpods Pro catches all noise in noisy environment making it difficult to focus on speech. And as it is a OTC hearing aid using headphone technology, the volume of speech decreases depending on the person’s distance, till 7ft it will be heard clearly, but 10ft becomes hard to understand. Whereas in prescription hearing aids a person’s voice is heard & is focused even for a distance more than 10ft.
Do you think Apple will release Apple Intelligence feature for Airpods Pro in the next iOS version or during the launch of Airpods Pro 3?
Right we hearing aid users need is that Airpods Pro focus on speech in transperancy mode or further reduce ambient noise reduction (distance-wise). Music is not important to us. I know Apple is focusing on many things like Music, Live speech translation AirPods Getting Live Translation Feature Later This Year - MacRumors using Airpods Pro.
For Hearing aid users, speech in noise is challenging and need of the hour feature.
Have you tried the conversation boost setting or ambient noise reduction slider in Hearing Assistance Adjustments? I found the Airpod Pro 2’s work well in noisy restaurants.
Yes. I have been using AirPods Pro since 3yrs and all available updated settings, but ambient noise further needs to be reduced depending on the distance of the noise. Because we hear sounds like vehicles or horns which will be more than 50ft+ away interferiing during our conversation with a person 10ft away.
And the AirPods Pro speech quality is tuned towards music listening which makes voice sound smooth & roundness whereas prescription hearing aids voice are heard sharp or weighed focusing on speech very well.
I agree with the general premise of what you’re saying, but ‘Speech Mapping’ is already a defined term in Real Ear Measurement - what I think you’re trying to say is that Apple doesn’t appear to be training the DNN to improve speech in noise within the Airpods.
I’m guessing here, but I think the actual reason why is that Apple wants/needs the AI to occur on the phone or cloud as it can’t afford the cycles in real time on the Airpods, due to Battery issues.
Ya right, deep neural network.
And yes you are absolutely right about Apple depending on cloud or phone for AI, as the AI-driven phonak sphere drains the battery a lot when in AI mode which gives like 6hrs or less in that mode.
I think Apple will come up with something and synchronises perfectly with their software and hardware integration as usually.
With the next launch of AirPods Pro 3 with H3 chip, Apple should be able to come into AI stream for AirPods.
Live language translation.
Live assists physical objects.
They have the technology to do all day battery life. Only time can tell. AirPods Pro 3 will be released in 2026. Apple keeps improving battery life in all their mobile devices.
Apple dont update products without promising highly essential features and loads of other useful things.
Apple intelligence stumbled upon issues and is a setback for sometime now. Sooner or later.it will bounce back with better than promised performance.
For profound loss (i havent tested it yet).
You can increase frequency gains 10db or 20db+ to get extra 20db gain above moderate loss. It must automatically result in gains to your audiogram but not benefit profound loss.
But for someone who has mild to moderate hearing loss they can be useful in some situations. For music streaming (much superior music playback) or when flying (excellent noise cancelation and streaming but in transparency mode easy to talk to aircrew) I would always use the Airpod Pro 2’s over my Jabra Pro 30s
Back to the topic of the thread and I also find they do great for hearing speech in noisy restaurants. Now I haven’t yet had a chance to try my Jabra Pro 30s in a noisy environment but I would expect them to work at least as well.
Airpod Pro 2’s are not hearing aid alternatives but make a great and relatively cheap way to add a second set of aids that perform better for some situations. If you have mild to moderate hearing loss you can also use your audiogram from your audiologist (rather than the Apple Hearing test results) in the the hearing assistance settings.
Hopefully Apple will continue to evolve their hearing products to support severe to profound hearing loss, smaller form factors and longer batteries - but the current form factor also has benefits in much fuller sound for music streaming and best in class noise cancellation (when needed).
No, I don’t think they have any more energy density than anyone else. Battery technology is improving, their devices can be made more efficient, but they aren’t really shifting the paradigm.
Having devices that can harvest/scavenge energy from heat, light or another part of the electromagnetic spectrum would be the kind of shift I’m talking.
what i meant on battery life improvement is, every year iPhone capacity increases little or as much as possible. Now, there is stacked battery technology to be implemented on iPhones which results in huge increase in battery capacity.
Same way they will find a way for airpods too. I know there isnt space for bigger battery, but the technology might change in future which may double the current capacity usage.
And Apple spends billions on R & D. They wont stop until they find something which lasts for a decade or so.
Right now hearing aids are designed to consume about 2mW of power which will make their batteries last for about a day.
Consumer earbuds have larger batteries and are designed to last for maybe 6 hours. That allows them to consume orders of magnitude more power, maybe 10x as much as hearing aids. Companies like Apple use the additional available power to make their chips faster and develop features such as active noise cancellation on an open fitting.
As @Um_bongo said, battery technology is the same for everyone, and there is no breakthrough on the horizon.
The only way for Apple to achieve 18h battery life on AirPods would be to make the battery a lot larger, or make the internal chip a lot slower.
Excellent. However mine lasted about 12. The hearing aids and charger were replaced at end of warranty. They last about 15 minutes now unless I stream.
For profound hearing loss, it’s better to go for prescription HAs like BTE (behind the ear) or mini BTE which has the output power of 120 decibels volume gains.
BTEs are spacious equipped with 3 microphones and large capacity batteries lasting all day or more.
Currently, rechargeable battery HAs are pricier than disposable battery HA. given the battery technology, it will change in future lithium-ion to sodium-ion (lasts longer than lithium).
