USB-C AirPods Pro coming alongside iPhone 15, hearing test feature in development

As reported by Mark Gurman in his Power On newsletter, Apple is preparing to launch a USB-C case for the AirPods Pro, presumably alongside the launch of the iPhone 15 lineup lineup this fall which will switch from the Lightning port to the USB-C port.

Gurman says Apple is also testing a new hearing test feature, in addition to the other iOS 17 AirPods features Apple announced at WWDC.

The hearing test feature will reportedly play different tones in the user’s ear. Based on the user responses, it will be able to screen for possible hearing issues.

The company is working on a new hearing test feature that will play different tones and sounds to allow the AirPods to determine how well a person can hear. The idea is to help users screen for hearing issues, not unlike how the Apple Watch ECG app checks for heart problems.

Longer term, Gurman says Apple is working on adding additional health sensors to AirPods hardware, such as body temperature via the ear canal.

Apple previously announced that AirPods Pro would gain an Adaptive Audio feature later this year, which dynamically switches between Transparency and Noise Cancelling mode depending on the audio of the environment.