The work that began with EarPods continues to pay off as Apple prepares to ship the noise-canceling AirPods 4.

In a recent interview with Engadget, Apple's vice president of hardware engineering Kate Bergeron and AirPods marketing director Eric

For the first time ever, the entry-level AirPods have active noise cancellation (ANC). Apple unveiled the new AirPods 4 on Sept. 9 at the "Glowtime" event where the Cupertino-based tech giant debuted the new line with two variants: one with ANC and one without ANC.

The main difference between AirPods and traditional OTC or prescription hearing aids is that AirPods Pro uses a system called the Hearing Aid Feature (HAF), which is a software-only mobile medical application. Traditional hearing aids are full devices rather than an added software.

In a groundbreaking move aimed at enhancing accessibility and innovation in hearing aid technology, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently authorized the first over-the-counter (OTC)

The FDA has approved Apple’s Hearing Aid Feature software that permits AirPods to double as hearing aids for adults with mild to moderate hearing loss.