With its recent iOS14 update Apple is shining a light on hearing health, and giving a nod to Mimi in the process, as it improves accessibility for users with a new feature for headphone users.
The new feature called “Headphone Accommodations” sits within the iOS14 accessibility settings and allows the user to calibrate their headphones for their hearing ability. It is available on all headphones that use Apple’s H1 Chip: second-generation AirPods, AirPods Pro, and some Beats headphones, including the Powerbeats Pro.
Hearing Accommodations works by taking the user through a series of audio samples and inviting them to select the one that sounds best. They can then apply custom settings based on their choices and choose to apply this to phone calls or music & media, or both. For further customization users have the option of importing an audiogram (the standard output from a hearing test) from Apple Health Kit.
We reported last year that The Mimi Hearing Test had been added to Apple Health Kit, giving Apple fans even easier access to the #1 downloaded hearing test in the app store. With iOS14, Apple users are now able to customize their headphones using the results of a Mimi Hearing Test. While the approach is much less sophisticated than the hearing-based sound personalization that users of Mimi integrations can experience, it goes some way to improving the listening experience for Apple users with less-than-perfect hearing.
Mimi is already seeing the impact of Apple’s increased focus on hearing with a notable uplift in the number of iOS users taking the Mimi Hearing Test. Where this could get even more exciting is the potential for users of other Apple products to benefit from audio customised to their hearing ability. TV users around the world are already benefiting greatly from audio customised to their hearing ability through recent integrations of Mimi Sound Personalization into TPV Philips and Compaq TVs. A future where AppleTV users benefit from clearer dialogue or richer detail within busy soundscapes could be game-changing for millions. We’re very excited to see what Apple goes on to develop next, as they join in our mission of putting hearing health front and centre in our experience of the devices we use every day.
