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The Google Pixel & Pixel 2 will support Bluetooth Hearing Aids on Android P
Support for Bluetooth hearing aids is hard to find on Android devices, but it appears that Google is finally making it happen. The Google Pixel and Pixel 2 devices will support these kinds of wireless hearing aids on Android P.
Google I/O 2018 is quickly approaching. We expect to learn more about what's new in Android P at the event. Google has already given us a small taste of what's new with the first Android P Developer Preview, but there's a lot of goodies the company has yet to unveil. Navigation gestures are rumored to make an appearance at the event, and they're supposedly reminiscent of the iPhone X pill bar gestures. Thanks to the Android Open Source Project, we're able to track some of the upcoming features in the next Android release, and there's one feature we spotted that'll make people with hearing disabilities excited to learn about: support for Bluetooth hearing aids. According to a series of code commits, the Google Pixel and Pixel 2 smartphones will natively support connecting to Bluetooth hearing aids.
Android Is Getting More Accessible With Support For Bluetooth Hearing Aids
Android is getting support for Bluetooth hearing aids according to new commits. The G.722 audio codec was added for high quality voice communication.
With over a billion users of Android devices around the world, the operating system needs to accommodate users with a wide variety of needs. Smartphone accessibility is a major concern for millions of users worldwide, but it's not something many of us really think about unless you or someone you know lives with a disability. One issue on Android that users with hearing deficits have complained about for years is the lack for native support for Bluetooth hearing aids. Apple has pioneered support for directly streaming audio to Bluetooth hearing aids, but Google has lagged behind. That may change in the near future, however, as Google is now working to bring this feature to all Android devices.