Hands-free MFI for Oticon More.. any updates?

Hearing Aids Manufacturer Support
#9

From the Oticon More website data information

More connections. More conversations. More life.

Staying connected to family and friends is more important than ever. With Oticon More, you also get a wide range of connectivity options for a high-quality listening experience in everyday situations so you can go through your day with more confidence and convenience.

  • Direct streaming from iPhone® and select Android™ devices*

  • Make hands-free calls from any smartphone or connect a remote microphone with ConnectClip

  • Stream sound directly from your TV with Oticon’s TV adapter

  • Use Oticon ON app for easy, discreet control over the hearing aid from your fingertips

*Android devices need to support ASHA to allow direct connectivity to Oticon More. Please visit Oticon.com/support/compatibility for more information.

#10

Okay just got an email from my Audiologist, coming this May all MFI hearing aid manufacturers will be having completely hands free calling. And the word at this time is that the Oticon rep for our VA clinic believes that the More aids will get a firmware update to make it happen.

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#11

Soooo… translation: hopefully sometime before 2023? :rofl:

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#12

Definitely Maybe.

WH

#13

Many thanks for passing on the info.

Hopefully some time this year. :slightly_smiling_face:

#14

Starkey, in the Evolv 2400, have made the choice of mic between the HAs or the phone your choice and user selectable/changeable. What they have yet to do is to put an answer/hang up on the double tap feature. It is my understanding that this is on the drawing board, but timing is unclear. Therefore, you have to initiate the call and hang up either with Siri or by hand. This is not a full hands free execution at this point. I understand when they do upgrade the firmware to allow for this, you will have to get your AuD to do the upgrade.

ETA: I just got my Evolv 2400 RIC R HAs today. By all accounts, the call quality using the HA mics is very good. THBS, I have been in a quiet office environment for the day. I suspect that a noisier environment may necessitate using the phone mic. Time will tell.

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#15

Good point on the answer/hang up capability directly on the HA buttons. Probably more useful than changing programs on the MORE since they only cycle through and its easier to just use the app if you have more than a couple of programs. I used to prefer the mute button on the HAs but i understand that is not an option now.

I just want to be able to walk around without the phone in my hand while on a call. It might end up being a minor improvement.

Glad that the quality is good. After all, it should be if those mics are meant to help compensate for hearing loss.

#16

Exciting…I can hardly wait!
Please post immediately it becomes available…I’ll do the same if I spot it first!
:sunglasses: :speaking_head:

#17

According to this article, February 24th in the US. Latest Oticon Hearing Aids Support 2-Way Hands-Free Streaming for iPhone and iPad

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#18

More than likely the ones of us that get our aids from the VA will have to wait until after the first of May contracts go live to get the updates.

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#19

Very cool to see this announcement drop! Hopefully, 1) the updates actually roll out somewhat close to the announced timeframe, and 2) I do hope there will be an option to toggle the use of your HA mics vs phone mic in case you are somewhere with a bit of background noise. I believe Starkey did that with their aids, and I know the Phonaks don’t appear to have that option which caused some inconveniences occasionally.

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#20

I really don’t care that much about hands free.

#21

@cvkemp : The most-used sentence in the HoH community is about to become “Hello? … Hello? Can you hear me?”

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#22

This is the kicker it is only going to be on the latest IOS devices and IOS15.2 are highly.

  • Bi-directional streaming for certified Made for iPhone hearing devices is available with iPhone 11 or later, iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th generation and 4th generation), iPad Pro 11-inch (3rd generation and 2nd generation), iPad Air (4th generation), and iPad mini (6th generation), with software updates iOS 15.2 and iPadOS 15.2 or later.
#23

Yeah Chuck, they not only leave the older IOS devices out but totally ignore those of us who choose Android.

I guess I’m stuck with that damn Lanyard around my neck for the foreseeable future.
Oticon done “CLIPPED” us!

#24

I would not blame Oticon, I am betting it is because Google hasn’t prepared the the software and properly the hardware to allow hands free yet. That is the reason it isn’t going to work for the older iPhones because the hardware isn’t capable for hands free. People are blaming the wrong group here just remember with two way communication it takes two to tango

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#25

Thank you for the heads-up, @MDB !

This new added hands-free operation upgrade is exciting (for me at least!) and is arriving quicker than previously expected.

Eventually we will be able to get rid of all those annoying and clunky Bluetooth clip-on/TV etc streamers. Good riddance to that peripheral rubbish and chargers etc, I say.

Well at least for those manufacturers who support such technologies such as MFi and LE Bluetooth of the correct protocol(s).

Goodness know why Google and Android devices are so far behind the eight-ball in coming to the rescue of us hearing-challenged clients. Apple iPhone has supported MFi since the old ancient times of the iPhone 4.

Come on Samsung…get a wriggle on. :roll_eyes:

#26

Why would hands-free require anything special in the phone hardware? People without hearing aids have been using hands-free calling with BT earpieces for years.

#27

The ones that have been using it for years use Classic Bluetooth (like Phonak Marvel and Paradise)
To do it with LE bluetooth requires BT 5.1, which according to Bluetooth SIG, iPhones have had since their A13 Bionic chip.

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#28

I like the two to tango bit.
Good clarification for me, thanks.Chuck.

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