📱 Headphones and smartphones become medical devices

• The FDA has approved AirPods as over-the-counter hearing aids for adults with mild to moderate hearing loss.
• Smartphones can now translate conversations in real-time and help the visually impaired navigate via the camera.
• Continuous glucose monitors for diabetics are now available over-the-counter in the US.

AirPods function as hearing aids

The US Food and Drug Administration FDA approved the first over-the-counter hearing aid software in 2024. The feature is called "Hearing Aid Feature" and allows adults with mild to moderate hearing loss to use compatible AirPods as hearing aids, writes Vox.

A pair of AirPods Pro 2 costs approximately 200 dollars. Regular over-the-counter hearing aids cost several hundred dollars to over 1000 dollars. The FDA's approval lowers both the cost and stigma for millions of people who don't seek clinical devices.

The same earbuds can now also translate languages. Apple's Live Translation feature translates two-way conversations directly in the earbuds when connected to an iPhone. The feature works in English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish. More languages will be added.

Bluetooth technology opens up public spaces

Auracast is Bluetooth's new standard for audio broadcasting. The technology allows people to connect their own earbuds or hearing aids to audio streams in public places like theaters. Google has built support for Auracast into Android 16.

Smartphones help the visually impaired

At least 2.2 billion people worldwide have some form of vision impairment. iPhone has a built-in magnifier app that uses the camera to help users. The Door Detection feature announces the distance to a door and how it opens. Point and Speak reads text on physical buttons when the user points their finger.

Google's Lookout app for Android now uses Gemini AI models. The app can answer questions about images with spoken information. Users can ask about details like what color a shirt is or what a sign says.

Glucose monitors without prescription

The FDA approved the first over-the-counter continuous glucose monitor in 2024. Dexcom's Stelo is intended for adults who don't use insulin. This includes diabetics treated with oral medication and people with prediabetes.

A few months later, medical device company Abbott received approval for two over-the-counter sensors. Libre Rio is specifically for adults with Type 2 diabetes who don't use insulin. Lingo is aimed at people who want to monitor their health.

38 million Americans have diabetes. An even larger group has prediabetes. The sensors make it easy to see how food or exercise affects blood sugar levels. The user only needs a phone and a sensor.

Hearing aids can slow cognitive decline

A study funded by the NIH showed that treating hearing loss in older adults at higher risk slowed cognitive decline over three years. The study was a randomized controlled trial.

The World Health Organization WHO estimates that nearly 2.5 billion people will have some form of hearing loss by 2050. Approximately 14 percent of Americans between 45 and 64 years old experience hearing loss. Over 90 percent of people over 45 have presbyopia, which means reduced ability to focus on nearby objects.

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