A new Bluetooth-compatible hearing aid could help those with hearing loss listen more clearly — and for a bit longer — than with their current hearing device. On Monday, hearing aid maker Signia unveiled the Signia Pure Charge & Go BCT IX, which boasts a battery life of up to 36 hours, including five hours of streaming, on a single charge.
Signia claims this is the longest battery life of any Bluetooth Classic-compatible hearing aid.
Also: How to use the AirPods Pro as hearing aids
Bluetooth Classic hearing aid devices enable users to tune into calls, listen to audio on their devices, and navigate calls hands-free. It’s an older form of Bluetooth and tends to use more battery life than other Bluetooth types, like Bluetooth Low Energy. However, Bluetooth Low Energy is less effective at audio streaming than Bluetooth Classic.
The Pure Charge&Go BCT IX offers improved battery life and listening quality compared to other models in Signia’s Pure Charge&Go IX and IX T line of hearing aids. The hearing aid offers RealTime Conversation Enhancement, which tracks and enhances the clarity of speaking partners in groups, even while partners are moving or coming from multiple directions. Signia says this results in a 22% improvement in speech understanding when used in loud group conversations.
The Pure Charge & Go BCT IX also includes universal device compatibility for Android or iOS users.
“The combination of Bluetooth Classic connectivity and RealTime Conversation Enhancement ensures all hearing aid wearers have the confidence to engage, interact, and contribute — especially in noisy group conversations,” Signia’s head of brand Jens Moeller said in a press release.
The announcement comes during an interesting time in the hearing health market. Apple announced late last year that its AirPods Pro 2 earbuds could function as hearing aids. Users can put the earbuds in, take a hearing loss test directly on their iPhone, and bring the results to a doctor for diagnosis. Of course, the earbuds’ six-hour battery life pales in comparison to that of an actual hearing aid that can last for a full day or more. The hearing loss feature makes hearing loss tests more accessible to a larger demographic.
Source : https://www.zdnet.com/article/signias-new-hearing-aid-delivers-bluetooth-compatibility-longer-battery-life/
