The manufacturers usually replace the internals of BTEs and RIcs … far easier than trying to repair tiny parts.
However, due to a controversial US law case involving a Roberts Radio warranty, they will say they have repaired the aid … but in fact they have simply moved the serial number plate to a totally new unit.
My Phonaks Audeo Venture 90 RIC AIDS were also replaced just before the 4 year warranty ended. I was very happy as they were very expensive originally and was hoping they would last me quite a bit longer than 4 years. I am holding out for Phonak to do a made for iPhone Version - getting frustrated at their stubborn belief that the Marvels are an adequate alternative to all the advantages of made for iPhone. I refuse to pay that sort of money for anything less.
See, me on the other hand wish they never do MFI only 
since that would mean that android users don’t have anything with direct connection anymore.
Seeing that global iphone/ios market share is around 20-25% and android is around 70-80% I’m actually surprised that only sonova tackled android users. But that’s why their aids were bestsellers of all time.
But in some years we should have mfp (made for phone) or whatever, which should work on any current phone.
Why would doing a MFi version preclude them doing their current style for everyone else? It does not have to be either or. They could do a MFi version as an option. They might even be able to do it with the same hardware but different software. That would increase sales without being as expensive as designing a new aid. They do different aids for people with different levels of hearing loss. They could do aids to suit each of us including those who need MFi… I have been patient and waited a long time now. I have an iPod touch, an iPad mini(mainly for reading), an iPad and a Mac. Limiting pairing to only two devices and difficulties switching devices makes the Recent offerings from Phonak unacceptable for me. I am not going to spend $10,000 or more for new aids that do not meet my needs. I have tried Resound and they did not meet my hearing and comfort needs. I need Phonak to step up and truly cater for the needs of people like myself. There are a lot of iPhone users out there and Phonak will not be first choice for features (find my HAs is a great feature). I don’t want to have to trial every brand that does MFi. I Like Phonak sound and want Phonak to cater for my needs. Of course if they keep stubbornly ignoring my needs then I will eventually switch brands by going through that long trial process.
I think this is the most important.
But I think about this part you might to think twice.
And no, it’s not expected that phonak will do MFI (nor is that that easy to do as you think, plus different levels are same hardware just some software switch to give or take features, whereas MFI from what I gather uses different chip than regular BT does, so, it’s hardware issue then, so that makes it basically having 2 has, which would probably drive costs even higher, since they’d need double teams for research and development)
What is the future is what I said, every manufacturer will support that new BT standard that’s coming, but it will take some years until they first invent the standard (I think they’re close?), then phones start implementing it, then they’ll do aids that support that when there’s financial reason to support that. I wouldn’t expect seeing HAs that have something that only few phones have.
What I mean, if you want to wait for phonak to support mfi, you might not see it in your lifetime.
The future is platform independent connection, so it makes no sense to invest into MFI just to abandon it when this new thing is around the corner.
The new standard was agreed upon over a year ago. What slows down implementation of that is all the old and different types of phones out there. Phonak have this idea that they can cater to all phones but that means they refuse to embrace the possibilities of true smart phones. Old phones with just Bluetooth will never do things like find my HAs. I used the first and second version of Resound Linx aids and the MFibfeatures were fantastic. I have not seen Phonak even attempt to offer those features which is a real shame. I should not have to compromise comfort or hearing to update to the 21st century. Trialing HAs is not actually fun. It was not a good experience last time and I don’t want another long process again. At the moment I am not going down that road. Phonak won’t embrace new Bluetooth standards because they still want one device that can communicate with even the most basic phone. It will be a long time before all those phones are retired and a new generation of managers take control at Phonak. True platform independent smart features are so far away for Phonak that I doubt they will ever happen.
I believe the Paradise can pair to 8 devices if I understand it correctly.
Are you sure? I thought it was only two. I just looked this up and it says pair with 8 and have 2 active connections for ease of switching devices. Don’t quite understand what that means except it sounds like it would not be easy to switch between three devices for example? Perhaps someone else knows and will post.
And I have almost lost my aids in the waste paper basket three times now. Find my HAs could save my HAs. Just sheer luck I was able to find them each time I have lost them so far.
Ah I misunderstood, my mistake.
That’s a shame really as the ComPilot can have 6 paired devices and 4 currently connected.
About where bt came so far, you know more than me thanks for sharing.
But yeah, I don’t see how mfi would be feasible for phonak since new is on the gate.
I don’t have 3 devices to test exactly, I can only draw conclusions from marvel 1 vs paradise 2 and how they behave.
If for example you paired with 8cor whatever devices, and you’re currently in range of one, HAs will connect to that one, both of them.
If you leave the room and eg go upstairs where another device is on, HAs will connect to it.
Different is when you’re in range of 2 or more paired devices and all have something to share.
Marvel will stay connected to one that was first caught. I have no clue to which it will connect if you come into the room where 2 or more are online and want to connect. Didn’t have that situation.
Paradise will connect to 2. Again no clue what happens when there’s three available at the moment you enter the range.
If you have bt devices off and turn them on, then HA will connect to the one they see first (and second in Paradise case). If you wanted marvels to connect to second device, you had to shut down bt on the first device.
I guess paradise does the same.
Different is that in order to listen from tv, phone and tablet as you go around using them, in marvels you’d also need to go around and shut down bt and turn on bt on the device you want.
With paradises you’d do the same for third device, you’d have to turn off bt on one of previous two connected. That’s what I expect.
However paradises currently have bug that thry5have issues to connect to my laptop if they’re already connected to my phone. So if I turn off phone bt, they connect to laptop, then I turn on bt on phone and they connect there again and have both connected.
If I play YouTube from laptop, goes into my HAs, if I play from phone, goes to my HAs.
I didn’t exactly test what happens when I play on both, I’m under the impression that in HAs will come the one started last.
My suspect is that bt on my laptop is something different and bt on phone is ‘stronger’ and it messes up with chip in paradises. Phone is bt5, lap is 4 something. I’m waiting for bt5 dongle for lap to test that theory.
But once connected, it really works nice.
@Zebras did compilot have any issues about order order of connection? Or they just worked?
Hm, this is a bit weird. I mean, I have to whip my head really vigorously left and right to make it start going out.
I’d check for some security and not phonak to put find my aids 
I mean, it might never come and you have aids now that you don’t want to lose.
If you have custom molds done some time ago, ear grows, so maybe they don’t hold properly.
Also, for domes, maybe it’s time for bigger ones.
But another option could be concha lock or similar ones.
Or wire that is tied to both and goes around your nexk if aids are some bigger ones, I forgot if you mentioned which type you have.
But they shouldn’t go out from you bending over or something.
Unless you mean they end with papers because you left them on the table?
Then maybe find some nice box or more, make dedicated places around the house and train yourself to leave them only at those places.
Sharing some ideas how to help yourself not losing them.
And I definitely know how trials are exhausting. I must say that I’d go hardware route first, than relying on manufacturers to cover that feature.
I agree with you, if they’re connected to myphonak app one button more that makes them beep loudly shouldn’t be that much work. For that connection phonak uses btle anyway.
If they’re turned off, then they can’t do it anyway.
Actually one aid (Phonak V90s) was sitting on the coffee table because I was lying on that side to watch a movie so I took it out. (Tried HA pillows but they are not comfortable) I picked up something from the coffee table to put in the waste paper bin and must have accidentally picked up the HA with the rubbish item. I have no problem keeping my aids on my ears.
But I can forget that one is out if I have been relaxing to watch a movie. Three times over 5 years is not often but when It first happened I had no idea where It was. The find my HA feature would have saved me a lot of worry and searching. Now I know to check the waste basket but that does not mean I won’t misplace one somewhere else next time.
As an aside I also lost my diamond ring in a paper towel when I wiped my hands after hand washing at work and also after visiting family at a hospital - found it again both times in the bin for the paper towel. I don’t wear any rings at the moment.
You really don’t have a luck with bins
Glad that you’ve found them every time. I did lose mine all around the tables as well, but then decided I’ll drop them in those two boxes whenever I want to remove them, one in living room and one in bedroom. That helped me definitely.
Didn’t know that HA pillows exist, when I lay down on mine while streaming, I don’t have problem, but I do have that memory foam pillow and I remove glasses when I watch something on my phone in bed, maybe that’s why.
But I agree, adding one button in the app that HA scream back at you shouldn’t be a problem on marvel/paradise platforms since they’re already able to do even hearing test remote. Why they didn’t add such button, I have no clue.
What I’m missing is why you think that MFI is needed for that?
Just tested this, albeit with P90 R now.
If I play on one and start on another, it will switch, but from what I’ve gathered fast only when I have lap play on and start phone, other way won’t switch until I don’t stop phone play.
I believe Marvel’s can pair to 8 devices. I am paired to 5 or 6 without a problem.
In MFi aids that do find my HAs it is like having location services on the aids. You can find them the same way you can a misplaced phone. You do not need to be within hearing distance as you would need to be for a beep sound. And without aids some people will have trouble locating the beep. Also you can program them to recognize a location and set a special program change for that location eg. Music program for your favorite performing arts centre. I found that less useful than the find my aids feature though.
Ok I still don’t understand.
This about arts centre uses what gps on phone to share location with aids and then aids switch program.
But aids don’t have GPS or something in them, plus GPS usually isn’t working inside and definitely not to distinguish in small areas eg if if device is at this or that size of the door / room /desk /basket.
So how that works exactly, do you maybe know?
For misplaced phone so far I know about gps based services, but that’s also ballpark, and not inside flats, and definitely not room distinction.
Or beeping/ringing of some sorts.
So, what I’m missing? Can you share some links for the feature, or videos? I feel like I’m stuck in the past 
Sounds like you do not use an iPhone. With the Linx2 aids I had you would use your iPhone to find the aids. The app would tell you whether you were getting closer or further away once they were close. It sort of guided you to them. Read up on the features of MFi aids eg. The latest ones from Resound. Connecting via low energy signals to stream is not the only feature MFi aids offer. I have not looked it up recently because the Resound aids did not suit me for hearing (microphone noise) so I won’t try to detail them for you. Just be aware that the connectivity is not the only advantage on offer.
Try. https://www.resound.com/en-au/hearing-aids/apps/smart-3d
This is just an example and I have no connection to any HA company.
I had the same warranty with Costco. I sent my Resounds back for warranty repairs close to the end of the warranty. They replaced them with the same model. I reread the original post and I do not see where they replaced them with the newer model. It would not be good business practice to do so
Geofencing on the phone.
The aids don’t know where they are but the phone does. Works just like my Tado heating system. When my phone gets within a certain distance of the house it turns the heating on.
You can set your hearing aids to change listening profile on the same basis, but the Phone does all the fancy GPS.
I just have no idea how this would work.
Maybe by playing hot-cold game like if you’re getting closer or moving away by measuring strength of the signal.
Yeah, don’t own iphone nor anything from apple and never intend to, so I’m not familiar with their tech, just general principles.
Yeah, that was my initial assumption, but when @Psocoptera said it works indoors, and we know that HAs themselves don’t have GPS and GPS doesn’t work indoors to table/room precision, I just didn’t see what else could be.
Until this hint about saying if you’re closer or away.
But I don’t see the reason why it’d need mfi for that, bt or btle should also suffice, eg I don’t see why phonak didn’t give such feature since they have both bt already. Since initial discussion started about mfi being needed for find my aids feature.