According to a recently issued government directive, all mobile phones in the United States will soon be compatible with hearing aids.
The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday issued a new order giving smartphone manufacturers until 2026 to stop selling devices that are not compatible with hearing aids. Meanwhile, the transition period for national and non-national service providers is 30 months and 42 months, respectively.
Additionally, U.S. cell phones now require simpler Bluetooth pairing options. The US FCC also warned cell phone manufacturers against incorporating proprietary Bluetooth standards into their products, saying it could make it difficult to connect to hearing aids.
Smartphone manufacturers are also required to ensure that their devices meet certain volume control benchmarks and include details about hearing aid compatibility as part of the product information on their website or on the smartphone packaging. Masu.
The mandate for smartphone and hearing aid compatibility comes months after Apple announced it would include hearing aid functionality in its AirPods Pro 2. The iPhone maker recently received the green light for AirPods Pro 2 from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Used as a hearing aid.
Apple’s hearing aid feature is a software-only mobile medical application that is configured using an iOS device, such as an iPhone, and the user’s hearing level is accessed through iOS HealthKit to customize the feature.
By installing this software and customizing it to the user’s hearing needs, a version of AirPods Pro can function as an OTC hearing aid. It is intended to amplify sound for people over the age of 18 who are identified as having mild to moderate hearing loss. said the regulator.
