According to a press release from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), 48 million people in the United States suffer from some degree of hearing loss.
On their behalf, the FCC now requires all new smartphones to work with hearing aids. The rule will take effect after a “grace period,” which was not specified in the announcement (PDF).
This is a big problem for these users. Although iPhones and most Android devices have some degree of compatibility with wireless hearing aids, this compatibility is not standardized and some devices fall well below the ideal M4 and T4 ratings. It can also be difficult to determine in advance whether a phone you want to buy is compatible – and if so, to what extent – and that’s a problem the FCC wants to solve by imposing stricter labeling requirements on retailers in person and on websites.
Hearing aids have become much more accessible in the United States after the Food and Drug Administration allowed them to be sold without a prescription (or “over the counter”) in 2022. This makes them easier to purchase and much less expensive, because of More and more companies are rushing to compete in this new market. You can now walk into a store like Best Buy and get wireless hearing aids from brands like Sony, Jabra, and Sennheiser.
Other guidelines in the FCC order include distortion-free volume control references and a requirement for universal Bluetooth pairing standards used by standard and OTC hearing aids.
As someone whose hearing is not great and will likely need some help in the future, I appreciate this.
