What if a hearing aid could be replaced with a pair of wireless earbuds and a smartphone app? A Swiss startup is trying to make this reality with an app called Fennex, recently released for the iPhone, that works with Apple’s $159 AirPods wireless earbuds. Alex Mari, CEO of the startup of the same name, says that he chose Apple’s devices and mobile platform for the app in part because of their popularity, but also because he thinks an Android phone would result in more latency when processing sound. The Fennex app, currently free though it may eventually charge for certain features, is still in its earliest days. Mari says today’s version functions like a “cheap hearing aid”: it simply tests your hearing in each ear and uses those results to act as a personalized, adjustable amplifier. If you’re having trouble hearing in a class, for instance, you could place your phone near the lectern while you’re sitting a few rows back and listening in on a pair of AirPods. But upgrades are coming, Mari says: the app is slated to gain features that will help reduce unwanted noise and feedback. And beyond helping people who just want to hear better in some situations, the software could eventually work with with Apple’s hardware to serve as a viable alternative to a regular hearing aid for people who have moderate hearing loss, he believes. “We want to get as close as we can to hearing aid technology,” he says. Fennex is latching on to a broader trend in using smartphones and earbuds to augment hearing, both for people with hearing loss and for those who simply want to adjust how they hear. Already, there are some similar apps that work with earbuds and smartphones, like Petralex, as well as specialized earbuds that work with their own smartphone apps, like Doppler Labs’ Here One. Unlike hearing aids, which can cost thousands of dollars for a pair, these so-called hearables may cost up to a few hundred dollars on top of the price of a smartphone. Fennex claims to be the only one designed for the AirPods specifically. And since Apple is clearly moving away from the traditional headphone jack—it cut it out of the iPhones released last year and included just its proprietary Lightning connector for charging—it is possible that in the coming years AirPods will become a lot common.
Swiss start-up Fennex has released an app for the iPhone which turns Apple's AirPod wireless earbuds into a cheap hearing aid. The app tests users' hearing in each ear and modulates volume specific to each user's hearing ability. The app, called Fenze, is available on both iOS and Android devices. The app is only supported by Apple because an Android phone experiences more latency when processing sound, said Fennex CEO Alex Mari.