If iPhone owners can improve their hearing for $250, that’s a win for a large number of people. Sure, it doesn’t solve the problem for everyone, but neither does a $2000 pair of hearing aids.

Great. But it doesn’t mean Apple Airpod hearing aids are only $250.

Many people already have an iPhone, so that's a sunk cost.

Even not looking at the used market, a new iPhone SE is $430 (and likely to be substantially updated soon)

So we agree, not just $250.

Good thing most people carry those around for other purposes. That $1000 tiny computer in their pocket just swallowed yet another thing that was once discrete.

Except it’s a separate device, so it didn’t swallow it. It’s just an abstraction on an already existing thing. Digital wallets is something that swallowed wallets, for example.

By definition and per every observable statistic, most people do not carry iPhones around.

I don't carry around any Apple device, neither do most of people (including various IT folks in various banks) I know. You can't tweak its settings without one.

Fair. I was more referring to smart phones in general. The argument was “you need a $1000 device for this $200 thing”. But if other manufacturers come out with similar hearing aids, I’d expect most to work with either iOS or android and would require one of the two $1000 devices to work.

Used iPhone 7 for $51, iPhone 11 for $154, 12 for $226, 13 for $262...

https://swappa.com/buy/iphones

I mean, I'm all-Android all-the-way, but I think the used market is viable for this.

Thank you nth pundit.

Different response than the rest (but I am running out):

Now you have to carry around the AirPods in your ears and phone in your pocket. Cost is more than a number.