All Mobile Phones Must Be Compatible With Hearing Aids

New regulations have made it compulsory for all mobile handsets, such as smartphones, to be made compatible with hearing aids.

The regulation comes Apple recently said that its AirPods Pro 2 now has “over-the-counter Hearing Aid capability for users with mild to moderate hearing loss”.

“Using the personalised hearing profile from the Hearing Test, this new feature seamlessly transforms AirPods Pro into a clinical-grade hearing aid,” claimed Apple.

In September, the US Food and Drug Administration authorised the first over-the-counter hearing aid software device, Hearing Aid Feature, intended to be used with compatible versions of the Apple AirPods Pro headphones. The Hearing Aid Feature enables compatible versions of the AirPods Pro to serve as an OTC hearing aids.

On Thursday, the Federal Communications Commission in the US made an announcement regarding the mandatory compatibility between hearing aids and mobile phones, saying that the decision would mean that 48 million Americans with hearing loss will be able to choose among the same mobile phone models that are available to all consumers.

“Under the new rules, after a transition period, Americans with hearing loss will no longer be limited in their choice of technologies, features, and prices available in the mobile handset marketplace,” the FCC said in a statement.

The Commission also established a Bluetooth coupling requirement that ensures universal connectivity between mobile handsets and hearing aids, and encouraging handset manufacturers to move away from proprietary Bluetooth coupling standards. Phones must be compatible with hearing aids — and vice-versa.

All new mobile handsets available in the US must also meet volume control benchmarks that the FCC says would “ensure clear audio for the listener by allowing them to increase a mobile handset’s audio volume without introducing distortion.” It said that such requirements would support those with hearing loss who are not using hearing aids.

The Australian government has said that around 3.6 million people have some level of hearing loss. As the country’s population ages, it says that the number of people with a hearing impairment to double to an estimated 7.8 million people by 2060.