Apple has released iOS 18.1 for iPhones. In addition to preparations for AI functions, the update brings support for people with hearing problems.
Apple will also be bringing some of its new AI functions Apple Intelligence to iPhones in Germany next spring. The group has completed the preparations for this with iOS 18.1, which is now available for cell phones. You can find out what functions Apple Intelligence brings here.
iPhone owners can already use another function: With the update, Apple is making its Airpods Pro 2 a hearing aid for people with mild and moderate hearing problems.
With iOS 18.1, users can now take an audiometry test to individually adjust their own hearing using the Airpods and an iPhone. The hearing aid is then automatically configured to amplify sounds in the frequencies where deficits are detected.
The hearing test can be started in the iPhone’s settings and takes less than five minutes. It is best for users to carry out the test in a quiet environment. The function checks this before it starts – and also interrupts the test briefly if it gets too loud all around.
Similar to traditional audiometry tests at the doctor, the result is given in terms of the deviation from the usual standard hearing value. A deviation of up to 25 decibels (dB) is considered normal hearing.
This does not require the Airpods to intervene to amplify the sounds. A loss of 26 to 40 decibels is a mild hearing loss – and a loss of 41 to 60 dB is a moderate hearing loss.
The prerequisite for setup is an iPhone or iPad with the latest version of iOS or iPadOS. And it has to be the Airpods Pro 2 because they run on the H2 chip developed in-house at Apple. Aipods Pro 2 are currently available online for between 235 euros and 279 euros.
With the update for its mobile operating system, Apple has released other changes in addition to the hearing test function. iPhone 16 owners will receive improvements to camera controls. A new mode for spatial photo and video recordings is also available for iPhone 15 users.
Apple says it has also fixed an issue that caused iPhone 16 models to restart unexpectedly. In the podcast app, episodes that users have not yet heard have already been marked as played. The problem has also been fixed on iOS 18.1.