Wednesday’s Samsung Unpacked 2025 event was a striking platform for Google’s revelation about its enhanced accessibility tools for Android. These enhancements, encompassing the screen reader and more notably, the hearing aid features, typify Google’s dedication towards inclusivity.
These hearing aid feature upgrades emerge after Google’s recent diversification with the Android 15 release. The past year indicated a seismic shift in the hearing aid industry as over-the-counter access to such technology received FDA approval in May. This created a burgeoning smart hearing aid market linked to mobile devices, itself a monumental stride forward.
In a similar vein, Apple clinched FDA approval to allow AirPods Pro as a hearing aid tool in September. The industry expects a ripple effect in the coming year with multiple earbud manufacturers hopping on the bandwagon, propelled by Android updates and bespoke software evolution.
The most recent upgrades warrant LE Bluetooth compatibility, yielding features like hands-free calling and reduced latency connections. Accompanying the launch of Galaxy S25, this feature is also surfacing in S24 and Google’s Pixel 9 via Android 16 beta updates.
In addition, Android’s TalkBack screen reader upgrades its support for braille users with access to Human Interface Design (HID). Instituted in 2018, the HID standard has amplified the ease of using a braille display across a variety of operating systems and hardware types. This advancement nullifies the necessity for braille devices to develop particular software or drivers for specific operating systems or screen readers.
The incoming weeks will see the rollout of this feature on Galaxy S25, later extending to all smartphones and tablets operating on Android 15. TalkBack is also gaining an upper hand with superior image descriptions powered by Google Gemini.
Original source: Read the full article on TechCrunch
