Apple's keynote like the past few years was boring as all heck. But two key innovations that aren't sexy were announced and nobody is talking about it due to a (camera) button.
Lowering the barrier of entry to hearing aids
Airpods Pro 2 now are FDA approved as a hearing aid. So many people need hearing aids and won't get them. I have three people in mind when I am writing this article.
Mid-range hearing loss is what most people in the 20-50 age range have. Typically the easiest way to know if you have it is if you struggle with hearing one person in a crowded environment. Can't hear the barista because people are talking around you / music is playing is a sure sign of mid-range hearing loss.
Clinical-grade hearing aids at $250 is fantastic, and besides that, I think people are more likely to take the leap due to the reduced stigma.
@Mom @Adeena @RebbitzinS please invest.
Yes, I called you out as you need to start taking care of this and this is a great way without any stigma.
Sleep Apnea Detection
Sleep Apnea detection will be coming to Apple series 9/10 and Ultra 2 later this year pending FDA certification. Again this is another reducing barrier to entry health feature. A lot of people probably suffer from sleep apnea but aren't ready to admit that to themselves or go do an invasive sleep study. Having it built into the watch that you're already using for sleep tracking is fantastic and will help people get diagnosed and get better sleep.
Apple "Invents" Buttons
The camera button has been a staple on phones like the Sony Xperia line for years. Furthermore, Android has had double click on the power button to launch the camera and then use the volume buttons for shooting.
It is a fine addition and probably more polished than Android offerings (though dual-stage shutter won't be available until later in the year)but should by no means be the headliner that people are making it to be.
This is day 22 of #100DaysToOffload