Until now, Apple has relied on several third-party manufacturers for 'Made for iPhone' hearables that help people with hearing loss benefit from its Live Listen feature. Live Listen helps those with hearing imparity to listen clearly in adverse environments. But with launch iOS 12, users will be able to experience the feature on AirPods.
According to a report, Apple is expected to announce this hardware-centric feature at its iPhone launch event in September this year.
This means that with this support, iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch users will not need to buy separate Made for iPhone products to take the advantage of Live Listen.
Apple introduced the Live Listen feature in 2014 for people with limited hearing capabilities. When enabled, the feature turns iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch into a remote microphone that sends sound to Made for iPhone hearing aid. Live Listen can help a user hear a conversation in a noisy room or hear someone speaking across the room.
Apple was also reported to be working on a new version of its AirPods wireless earphones that may come with a new chip that lets users access Siri via the ‘Hey Siri’ voice command, without the need to tap. The next-gen AirPods might also come with improved water resistance, which means that they would be able to survive splashes of water or the rain, but most likely won’t be designed to be submerged under water.