Apple has secured the US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) first-ever approval for Bluetooth earbuds to be sold as over-the-counter hearing aids. Beginning this fall, AirPods Pro 2 users with hearing loss can leverage companion software to adaptively amplify sounds from their environment in real time.

ENT specialists said this will help make hearing aids more accessible and affordable. Hearing aids can cost up to $8,000 and often aren't covered by insurance. Apple AirPods Pro 2 are $249.

Apple is bringing a ‘clinical grade’ hearing aid feature to its second-gen AirPods, allowing new and existing owners to get help for hearing loss.