Apple will release iOS 18.1 next week, introducing a suite of advanced hearing health capabilities to the AirPods Pro 2 and the first Apple Intelligence features.
The timing of the update was confirmed by reviewers who were given early access to the AirPods Pro 2's new hearing health features, which are now known to be included in the update. The update will include three core features: hearing protection, hearing testing, and hearing aid functionality. Apple obtained FDA authorization for the new features last month.
One of the key components of the update is the ability to conduct a hearing test directly from the iPhone. The test works by playing a series of tones across different frequencies and prompting users to respond, much like a clinical hearing test performed by audiologists. The results are stored in the Health app, and users can adjust their AirPods' audio settings accordingly.
If the test indicates hearing loss, the AirPods Pro 2 can automatically configure themselves to act as hearing aids, boosting specific sounds in real time. As Apple's Vice President of Health, Dr. Sumbul Desai, explained during Apple's event announcing the feature: "After you take a hearing test, your AirPods Pro are transformed into a personalized hearing aid, boosting the specific sounds you need in real time, like parts of speech, or elements within your environment."
The update also introduces enhanced hearing protection. The feature will continuously monitor the user's environment and reduce the impact of loud sounds, such as traffic or concerts, in real time. This function will be integrated across various listening modes, including noise cancellation and transparency mode. See reviews from The Verge, Wired, TechRadar, CNBC, and Tom's Guide, for first impressions of the feature.
iOS 18.1 also includes the first Apple Intelligence features, such as Writing Tools, text and notification summaries, the ability for Siri to answer questions about Apple products, smart replies to emails and messages, a revamped Clean Up tool in Photos, and more. Further Apple Intelligence features, such as an enhanced version of Siri with ChatGPT integration, will arrive in another update at a later date.
