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In iOS 18.1 the long awaited Air Pods Pro 2 Hearing Test and Hearing Aids feature is (as of 18.1 release date) not available in Canada. When will it be available and is there any specific was as users we can make this happen?
iPhone 13 mini, iOS 18
Look at the long list of countries where the Apple Airpod Pro hearing aid functionality is available. It includes many third-world countries but not Canada. This is nothing short of outrageous.
In Canada, corporate lobbies always win over consumers: the Big Three telecommunication companies are still charging an arm and a leg for internet and cell phone coverage, the big chartered banks are still charging high interest rates on credit cards and forcing a three-week pay cycle to change the due date every month and screw consumers with late payment fees, the audiologist and hearing aid lobby is still preventing consumers from purchasing over-the-counter hearing aids, 2 years after they have been made available in the US.
As I said, this is nothing short of outrageous.
Look at the long list of countries where the Apple Airpod Pro hearing aid functionality is available. It includes many third-world countries but not Canada. This is nothing short of outrageous.
In Canada, corporate lobbies always win over consumers: the Big Three telecommunication companies are still charging an arm and a leg for internet and cell phone coverage, the big chartered banks are still charging high interest rates on credit cards and forcing a three-week pay cycle to change the due date every month and screw consumers with late payment fees, the audiologist and hearing aid lobby is still preventing consumers from purchasing over-the-counter hearing aids, 2 years after they have been made available in the US.
As I said, this is nothing short of outrageous.
Both federal and provincial govts will need to deregulate the hearing aid industry. Short answer, don’t hold your breath.
Related article: https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/hearing-aids-over-the-counter-us-canada-1.6622197
Last year, I purchased the Sony CRE-C10 from BestBuy US and had them shipped to Shipito for re-shipping to me in the Montreal area. Last month, I bought the Sony CRE-C20 from Amazon US, and it was again shipped to Shipito for re-shipment to me in the Montreal area. To install the Sony app for these OTC-ITE hearing aids, I had to create a US Apple ID, log out from my Canadian Apple ID, and use a VPN to be able to get the Sony app from the Apple store while logged into my US Apple ID, set up my hearing aids with the app, log out of my US Apple ID, log in to my Canadian Apple ID to have access to all my purchases (music, movies, books, etc.).
Fortunately, I don’t need to repeat this process to fine-tune my hearing aids with the Sony app. Once installed on my iPhone, I can use it even when logged into my Canadian Apple ID.
But isn’t it ridiculous that I must do all this to access good OTC-ITE hearing aids in Canada? One needs to be a bit savvy to do what I did, which is not the case for many elderly Canadians who would benefit most from affordable OTC hearing aids. The more I think of this, the more outrageous it appears to me...
Shhh - don’t tell the Canadian health regulatory authorities. They will soon set up inspection facilities to X-ray parcels to find those dangerous OTC hearing aids! Yah - it’s insane. Dictating to Apple “no, no, no - don’t you dare improve the functionality of your top selling product - we can’t block the sale of your iPods in Canada - but we can block your automatic customer upgrade to the latest IOS ! Talk about third world behavior - this is truly over the top. The time has come to stop this anticompetitive behavior - enabled by our very own Government. The media have got to pick up on this story and start screaming like ****.
It’s not as if allowing the iOS upgrade in Canada will have any effect on the audiologists own sales because if you couldn’t afford $5000 for a set of prescription Hearing Aids before the iPod Pro iOS 18.1 upgrade you are still not going to go to an audiologist. So let’s see the Canadian gov do the right thing and allow us all to use iPods for hearing tests and improve our hearing ability at the same time.
However Canadians can order OTC hearing aids from Amazon. I have a set arriving today. I would have much preferred to use AirPods but returned them to Apple.
This would probably work if you have a vpn but my understanding is it might violate the Apple terms of service.
I’ve contacted my MP and MLA and heard back from our mla. He’s looking into the issue.
The CRE-C20’s are fairly pricey. Are they worth the price and trouble you went thru to get them? Seems like you could get a pair of prescription hearing aids from Costco for a couple of hundred $ more.
I bought some el cheapos from Amazon but have returned them as they were really bad quality (despite the reviews).
I also sent emails to my MLA and MP asking if there are any updates to OTC hearing aids in Canada.
The issue that needs to be clarified is whether Apple looks at GPS data to determine where you are located when you attempt to configure the AirPods Pro. I could log in to my US Apple ID using a VPN and then download the Sony app and configure my hearing aids—all that from my location north of Montreal. But I don’t know if the Apple process is the same. Remember that when you log in to a different Apple ID on one iPhone, you must first log out of your Canadian Apple ID. If you have the lockdown feature set, you have to wait an hour before being able to log in to your US Apple ID. It’s better to turn off lockdown mode before you begin this process. You can reactivate lockdown mode after you’re done.
FYI, I have tried to get the hearing features working in Canada by wiping my phone, setting up using a VPN, disabling location services and using a US account but it did not work. I guess they use your GPS location even if you don't allow it.
My next attempt will be a trip to the USA to see if that works.
Great idea. I thought about that. But unlike an app that's available in the US but not Canada, this is a feature set that is in the ipod settings. I'm willing to give it a try though. It makes sense.
The Sony CRE-C20 OTC ITE hearing aids are a valid upgrade over the CRE-C10. The most significant change is the rechargeable battery and the water-resisting factor now that the enclosure is sealed. I would not dive in a swimming pool or a lake with them, but they will resist rain or sweat, and it will not be the end of them if you forget to take them off before taking a shower.
On the functionality side, they are better at focusing on your spouse's or friend's speech while in a busy and noisy place like a restaurant. The hearing test has been modernized and appears more accurate. The rest of the app is pretty much the same.
Do you think the same process would work if I buy the Air pods- create an US Apple ID, etc? The Sony hearing aids sound great but they are $1000 US.
I think you can purchase the Airpods Pro from Canada. What is important is to get the most recent firmware on the Airpods Pro.
AirPods Pro 2 Hearing Aids Not in Canada
