Wednesday, July 26, 2017 10:31 AM

Apple is teaming up with medical device maker Cochlear Limited to develop the first-ever cochlear implant sound processor that allows users to stream sound right from their iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

The Cochlear Nucleus 7 device, which was announced on Wednesday, received FDA approval in June.

In recent years, Apple has worked with other medical device makers like GN ReSound to create iOS-compatible hearing aids[1]. There are now more than 50 hearing aids that work with iPhones.

For many, there is still a stigma surrounding hearing aids. But the high-tech versions intend to reduce some of that stress because users can discreetly make device adjustments using their phone as if they were checking an email or sending a text.

There are 360 million people with disabling hearing loss worldwide -- and 32 million of whom are children, according to the World Health Organization.

Related: High school student invents a cheaper hearing aid[2]

Hearing aids and cochlear implants are quite different. Cochlear implants ...