Samsung is bringing a hearing aid feature to its Galaxy Buds, which will give users with mild to moderate hearing loss another reason to consider the company’s premium earbuds.
The feature has now been cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is set to arrive alongside a new hearing test later this year.
The hearing aid functionality will be available on the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro and Galaxy Buds 4 Pro in the US and select other markets. Samsung’s approach is similar to Apple’s Hearing Aid feature on the AirPods Pro as it turns compatible earbuds into an over-the-counter hearing aid solution for adults aged 18 and over.
The new hearing test is designed to make the setup process more straightforward. Samsung says it can deliver medical-grade results in around five minutes. The test will be available directly through the Galaxy Buds settings on a compatible Galaxy phone.
The test checks each ear individually and determines whether hearing is within the normal range. It can also identify one of four levels of hearing loss: mild, moderate, severe or profound. The results can then be viewed in the Samsung Health app.
For users with mild to moderate hearing loss, the hearing aid feature can use those results to adjust amplification. This makes sounds such as distant voices, whispers and higher frequencies easier to hear. Samsung is also combining the feature with the existing audio processing capabilities of its earbuds.
That includes noise elimination and beam forming. The latter is designed to focus on sound coming from in front of the wearer. Therefore, the idea is to make conversations and everyday sounds easier to pick out without requiring a dedicated hearing aid.
It’s worth noting that the feature is aimed at adults with mild to moderate hearing loss rather than replacing hearing care for everyone. Samsung’s FDA clearance puts its Galaxy Buds more directly in competition with Apple’s AirPods Pro.
Samsung hasn’t provided an exact release date yet, however it says the hearing aid feature and hearing test are coming to the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro and Galaxy Buds 4 Pro later this year in the US and other select markets.
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