Perhaps but most manufacturers are using basic LE to extend their battery runtime.
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Yes absolutely, and as you say for quite some time, android came too late in the game to be the “game changer” unfortunately.
The moment the SiG got on board with LE Audio, the member companies already slam the accelerator, it will be here in a blink of an eye…
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Do you expect any of the current LE aids to be upgraded through firmware? I doubt the Phonak classic Bluetooth would be upgraded.
And to separate the left and right channels…
Some of them but not most of them, Phonak is definite no…
Geeze I get 36 hours from my rechargeable Signia AX7s with a telecoil. This last is important. That said, I’ve never come close to testing this: my aids are recharging well before they’re much worn down, battery wise. That said, my audi told me that they think that rechargeable aids lose their longer term capacity after two-three years. They will send mine in after two years, if I notice a reduction in charge, and then again just before their 3 year warranty is up. Most likely I’ll get new aids each time; but that’s not important. If I can get 5-6 years out of these aids before having to pay for new batteries, I’ll be happy. I love not having to buy new packets of batteries all the time. The money I’m saving will doubtless cover the cost of new rechargeable batteries after 6 years, if I don’t just get new aids at that time.
Wow. Interesting observation! I was hoping my upgrade to Android 13 - and maybe even newer versions as the years go by - will keep me one step ahead of the game. I’m definitely enjoying my 17.5+ hrs per day of use with the OS upgrade. Of course, I’d likely also get a new cell phone say 5 yrs down the road, and that could toss a new wrench into things.
Yes, cost is an issue with Phonak. Also, most audis will typically work with 2-4 manufacturers’ lines. So my new audi fits Phonak and Widex; my previous audi did Phonak, Oticon, Widex and Starkey. I feel that the audi is such a critical part of my total hearing solution that I’m probably limiting my options right there. But still have immense respect and LOVE my audis.
If we have rechargeable hearing aids, why don’t they allow us to change them like a receiver? This would simplify the situation, as we would keep the spare rechargeable battery in our wallet or somewhere accessible. I often charge the hearing aids for an hour during the day so that he can wear them late at night.
Phonak should know that not all people are the same - there are people who sleep a little.
There are people who often have to go somewhere suddenly because of work
What about emergencies? For example, if something happens to us or someone in the family in the evening and we haven’t charged the hearing aid, it’s a big problem if we go somewhere with a hearing aid whose battery is very low.
Also - there are people who often use bluetooth as part of their job, for example working in a store, workers often have a bluetooth headset in their ear and receive orders from their boss through it.
Or there are people who often call because they work in a call center.
My opinion is that phonak must enable rechargeable hearing aids so that the batteries can be changed as a module, like a receiver.
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Or they could move away from power hungry Bluetooth Classic to Bluetooth LE like almost every other manufacturer.
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There was indeed a manufacturer who did exactly that! Perhaps someone here can chime in with the name, but my audi was telling me about them on a couple occasions. Yes, it seems that would be a good solution for rechargeable wearers, and give us comfort in having a small, discreet “backup” on our person to swap in as needed.
Something went wrong with that business model. It would be interesting to know what? Maybe the product strategy didn’t “stick”? Maybe the rechargeable unit wasn’t priced right. I simply don’t know. But in the case of Lumity Life aids, having a swap-out rechargeable battery would also likely diminish the “waterproof” claim. They’d have to state on their marketing materials that the aids are actually only “water resistant like every other model out there now.” And that would negate a “unique” competitive advantage.
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Could it have been the PowerOne Pocket pocket charger for Accu plus that was used with special rechargeable batteries in the usual sizes (312, 13, etc.)?
I think it is still possible to have a waterproof hearing aid.
I’m not sure, if the hearing aid has induction charging, is it possible to make a module that will connect to the hearing aid with the help of a magnet and charge the existing hearing aid while the person is using it.
My own experience is that the speaker (which goes in the ear) is the weakest link. Right at the tip, water can get past the wax guard and fry that little matchstick.
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the receiver is the weakest link, My comment was about the body of the hearing aid, because they say that rechargeables are resistant compared to hearing aids that use disposable batteries.
Yes, I would say that the BTE unit on my Lumity Life aid is pretty near hermetically sealed with its induction charging and no access point for water to get in. That would probably not be the case if a rechargeable aid had a battery door - such as in the PowerOne Accu plus as I linked to above. There, the weakest link would be that battery door that opens to allow insertion (and removal) of the rechargeable “button” battery.
Hope springs eternal! I’d LOVE to see a rechargeable aid with swap-in batteries and the pocket-sized battery charger. I have taken international flights that would preclude using my current Lumity Life aids for the entire 20+ hrs. For those longer flights, I’d pop in my battery-powered Marvel aids (fresh batteries inserted o’course!). 
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Oticon lets the audiologist change the batteries with a special tool. They need to tell the aids about it through their software. I believe someone quoted an out of warranty price of $60 for a pair.
It was Z-Power, don’t go there!
Removable li ion battery is a very bad idea, you are playing with fire with fire.
Ibluejay: two questions:
–on a twenty hour flight, were you using bluetooth a lot?
–do you have a telecoil model aid? (I’m guessing, no. Maybe these aren’t available with Phonak?)
Personally, on flights, when I’m alone at least, I enjoy turning my aids off. I hate plane noise! It’s exhausting. My larger point is, everything is a trade off. At this point in their life cycle, my rechargeables could handle a twenty hour flight if I were talking and listening for the entire time. But that would never happen. As such, looking at my actual usage, or anyway my non-extreme zombie invasion usage, my rechargeable aids meet my needs.