> This is huge. Previously if you were hard of hearing, a pair of hearing aids could cost upwards of $2,000. Now Apple just brought that price down to ~$250.

Woah there fella. Hearing aids last a very long time before needing a new battery. AirPods needs to be charged several times a day. That's a bit of an inconvenience. As is some hearing aids are made to fit one's ear. Where as AirPods are 3 sizes fits all.

You could buy 2 pairs and swap them out. That would still be a 75% discount over the $2000 pair.

This will help more people hear. It might not be the best possible solution, but it surely beats not having it.

That’s a much, MUCH lower barrier of entry, though, fella… and that can be celebrated in my opinion

It's helpful, sure, but it's not the same thing.

Just to be pedantic: AirPods Pro 2 come with 4 sizes for tips. Also, I'm sure you can get third-party tips with different shapes if you wanted to.

> AirPods needs to be charged several times a day. That's a bit of an inconvenience.

that's if you wear them all the time. I have hearing difficulties and know I need aids even without taking a test. But I wouldn't want something in my ear all day long and most of the time I don't need to hear better because I'm working or whatever. But there are situations where it's hard for me to understand what people are saying and that's when I would put them on.

So with that in mind the AirPods would work great. It's unfortunate that it doesn't work with the regular AirPods which are only $100. (I don't have the Pro's).

Existing hearing aid products are still available for purchase for those who want them. I don’t think AirPods are going to replace hearing aids. Hopefully they lower the barrier for entry and perhaps lower the price of existing products.

AirPods Pro have replaceable tips, and there are third parties who sell different tips.

Actually the better the tip fits you, the more I'd think you'd take them out once in a while, because a perfect seal means your ears will get sweaty.

A condescending reply showing you didn't read the whole comment isn't the best look. The point isn't that they're the bestest hearing aids ever, the point is that they are an option at all at a tiny fraction of the typical price which will force manufacturers to innovate.

"You can now buy hearing aids (as defined by the FDA) for $250" is an objectively true statement, so unless you think the FDA is filled with Apple fanboys I have no idea what "pass" you think Apple is getting.

To be fair, it is a little misleading. "You can buy hearing aids with considerably lower functionality for $250" is more accurate. But there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. There's a LOT of people who can't afford high quality hearing aids (and the doctor assisted tuning) costing thousands of dollars. And if this getting _something_ into their hands, it has the potential to be a very big win.

Also, since it is an alternative (even if lower functionality), it has the potential to bring down the cost of other options, because that's a common outcome from competition.

Airpods don’t fit in my tiny ear canals. I even bought a smaller aftermarket tip and still no luck.

There are already cheap hearing aids. Airpod Pros will grow the market since they’re good for people getting started and okay for occasional use, but they aren’t good for wearing all day: too distracting for people you’re talking with, not enough battery life.

But now that Apple entered the market, maybe they will come out with wireless headphones that are more suitable?

Until wearing Airpods during conversation is normalized, this will be a problem. Why?

I tried conversing with somebody recently, and they were completely ignoring me. Then I saw the Airpods. Of course. They have music or something else going on.

For now, Airpods = "I am listening to something other than you right now." So yes, if somebody were wearing Airpods as a hearing device, I'd probably not talk to them because of that expectation.

> you're better off with them not in your life.

Offer not valid if it's your in-laws, nurse, kid's teacher, your teacher, civil servant who you need to convince, and overall anyone in a position of authority or otherwise capable of gatekeeping you. You can't always just opt out of dealing with people without consequence.

[edit] Disregard, I forgot that HN has been infested with normies with poor reading comprehension. Further posts will be strictly technical.

> We've homeschooled before, and it would be trivial to pull them (and a small portion of the district's funding with them) and do it again, and they know it.

You'd homeschool your kids because their teachers find it odd that you're wearing AirPods during a conversation? To each his own, I guess.

> Nurse? If they commit intentional malpractice, my attorney is ready to go.

In what world does subtly judging you for wearing AirPods during a conversation qualify as malpractice?

Being summarily pulled out of school isn't without consequence, especially to your kid!

I have bad news for you. Everyone judges people for these sorts of fashion choices (though perhaps not that specific one). Though some will do so more harshly than others, of course, and some enlightened folks will manage never, or rarely, to manifest or act on these judgments. And you'll absolutely never convince me that you don't make the same kinds of snap judgments about people based on things like what they're wearing.

It's healthy not to care too much about the fashion judgments of others, as you're suggesting. Is I agree with your first line. But you're otherwise bringing too black-and-white an approach to what is, in my view, an unavoidable part of social life.

Edit:

> Disregard, I forgot that HN has been infested with normies with poor reading comprehension.

OK. You object strenuously to anyone making any sort of judgment about a person wearing AirPods, all of whom should be completely cut out of your life, but are happy to throw out baseless insults at people who disagree with you in the mildest of terms on the internet. Got it.

My APPs are still going strong after 4 years. I use them daily, but not all day every day. Sure the battery life isn’t as good as before. But they’re still very usable. Am I just really lucky?

No, that's my experience as well

Do you need an iPhone to use them, or only for the initial setup/audiogram?

1.5? What happens after 1.5 years? Had mine for 5 years, no issue and sort of the same battery life or not noticeable to me (15% degradation is what I would not notice ) still charge very quick in a case.

You buy a new hearing aid for another $250 that has another 1.5 years worth of technological advancements.

Or maybe you buy multiple instead of just one, so you can hotswap any time.