Samsung has secured regulatory approval in South Korea to use its wireless earbuds as hearing assistance devices. The upcoming software rollout adds diagnostic tone testing and frequency amplification tools to the Galaxy Buds4 Pro and Galaxy Buds3 Pro for people with mild to moderate hearing loss. The feature debuts in South Korea early next year, while global availability details remain unconfirmed.
South Korean medical regulators cleared Samsung to implement hearing assistance capabilities directly into the Galaxy Buds4 Pro and Galaxy Buds3 Pro. The software targets users aged 18 and older who experience mild or moderate auditory reduction. Samsung clarifies that the technology serves as an accessible helper rather than an outright replacement for professional medical hearing aids.
The update delivers 2 primary tools. The Hearing Check tool plays tone signals to test both ears separately, creating a personalized audiogram graded across 7 hearing levels with tailored recommendations. The companion Hearing Care tool takes those diagnostic results and automatically boosts specific sound frequencies that the user struggles to detect.
Processing relies on the NAL NL2 algorithm, an industry standard formula used by professional audiologists to calibrate medical hearing equipment. Users can view their diagnostic audiograms and track daily environmental noise exposure directly within the Samsung Health application.
Samsung plans to distribute the tools through an over the air software update to South Korean users early next year. The company has not announced testing schedules or regulatory submission timelines for markets outside South Korea.
