Hearing aids have been used for more than a century and the world has seen a lot of improvements done to the hearing device over the years. So, not surprisingly, in the age of smartphones, a marriage between hearing aids and handsets is inevitable.
GN Resound has officially launched its "Made for iPhone (MFi)" hearing aid called ReSound LiNX on Monday across the globe. This is essentially is an attempt to make the hearing aid smarter by linking it to the iDevice. The hearing aid, which also doubles as a surround sound earphone, streams sound from an Apple gadget to the hearing aid via Bluetooth.
The iPhone or other Apple devices serves as the microphone of the hearing aid instead of having a pendant or a phone speaker that may cause feedback or sound distortion. From the iDevice, sound is directly transferred to the hearing aid. Likewise other audio content in the device such as music, driving directions, or podcasts can be streamed to the hearing device.
The LiNX is a lightweight device that comes in several colors formulated based on different skin tones and hair colors to further conceal it from other people. Despite its small size, the device can address about 90 percent of hearing losses.
"We saw an opportunity to create the world's best hearing aid by combining the capability of GN ReSound's life-changing technologies with the compatibility and global prevalence of iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. We are committed to improving people's lives through use of innovative technology and look forward to more people correcting their hearing with this new technology - a triumph in accessibility for the hearing impaired," said GN ReSound CEO Lars Viksmoen.
The Resound LiNX can be paired with Apple devices and is the first of its kind that can do that without needing to use a separate transceiver.
Along with the Resound LiNX, the Danish company also rolled out the Resound Smart App that allows the hearing aid to automatically tweak volume levels and make most of geo-tagging technology that can help properly adjust the acoustics of the device depending on the location of the user, be it at home, work, park, or favorite restaurant. The app also has a "Find My Hearing Aid" feature that can help users pinpoint their hearing devices in case they misplace it.
ReSound will also market the LiNX as Beltone First, under its sister brand. The expected tag price will be above $3,000. The best hearing aids today have sticker prices ranging between $3,000 and $5,000 while the average hearing aid only cost $1,500.
About 17 percent of adults in the United States report of hearing loss and roughly 50 percent of individuals 75 years old and above have difficulty hearing, based on reports of the Department of Health and Human Services.
