A good news for android fans.
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We wait in hope for the day
Still no clarity on what kind of hearing aids will be supported. I wouldn’t put a new phone on my shopping list until I knew that.
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Does this sound like Bluetooth 5 to you? It’s very vague, but my best guess is that it’s something Bluetooth 5 connected that is activated in Android 9, which is released in what? August or September?
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I wondered that too, but at my level of knowledge any guess would be just that. I’ve wandered through just a bit of the code. I’ve seen references to A2DP which is Bluetooth Classic audio, but I’ve also seen some code that tests to see if the hearing aids are BLE. I also saw some comments in the code that seemed to imply that the phone would connect to two devices (aids) at the same time. That doesn’t sound like Bluetooth as we know it. I haven’t seen “Bluetooth 5” in any of the code or comments. You’d think someone would announce something, wouldn’t you?
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Nah, they like maintaining the mystery and having us have to guess. :>)
Very interesting. I fear this is a way down the road. Really wish this was right around the corner – I’m currently in a trial period with new hearing aids, and am currently looking for a new phone!
If the aids you end up buying are made for iPhone (most high end aids currently are), getting an iPhone is kind of a nobrainer. If you really hate Apple or really love Android trying the Pixel or Pixel 2 is a decent idea as they will get updates earlier than any non Google phones, but it’s all speculative. An iPhone is a sure thing. (And no I’m not an iPhone fanboy, it’s just that currently they have the best solution for streaming to hearing aids.
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A couple of my customers are hardened Android users, we’ve gone with Phone clip+ to get around the issue, but one of them admitted the other day that he prefers the functionality via his Wife’s iPhone.
Another one said he’d picked up a 6s from one of those tech exchange shops for £100 or so which was becoming his ’house phone’.
It’s quite telling how much the integrated functionality of iOS seems to be driving the market in the MFi direction. Even if you’re not that tech savvy, the accessibility of the app and the way it’s built into the system seems to trump most other concerns.
There was a question about the catalyst that would drive the boomer generation towards seeking hearing aids - I think MFi is it - simply due to the degree of control/empowerment that the user gets from the process.
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I’m getting fitted with Resound LiNX 3D tomorrow, so let me see if I have things right. At this point I’m willing to switch to iPhone if it’s the best choice hearing-wise. But as I understand it, a Phone Clip+ clipped to my shirt pocket would give me true hands-free call answering and talking. Would answer a call by pushing a big button on the Phone Clip+, and don’t need to hold it to my mouth to talk. This would be the same on Android and iPhone. If I go with iPhone and use MFi instead, I have to swipe to answer a call, and have to hold the phone to my mouth to talk (phone in shirt pocket isn’t good enough, especially in a moving car). Is all that correct? Does the iPhone have other advantages? The built-in accessibility center (but the Resound app does what I need?). Does the Resound iPhone app work better than the Android app? The Phonak Direct Android app is getting annoying, because it can take a long time to connect to the aids, with status jumping between Connecting and Connected until both sides settle down. Maybe that’s a Phonak problem, not an Android problem.
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I’m not sure you’re going to get a definitive answer. I think ultimately you’re going to have to try things out and see what you’re happy with. All my comments are based from what I’ve read. What you describe basically sounds right, although I’ve heard some people claim that they can use their iPhone hands free with it sitting on the table. Most people that comment on the forum seem pretty adamant that they don’t want an intermediary device. It doesn’t seem to be a problem for you, so could work out well. It is my impression that none of this technology is “rock solid.” There are glitches. I think when you introduce more devices into the mix, one increases the likelihood of glitches. People have definitely reported issues even with just using iPhone and mFi hearing aids, often associated with a new operating system or firmware update, but it seems that an iPhone is most likely to “just work.”
The iPhone isn’t handsfree. It uses the phone speaker and the clip uses its speaker.
I’m not an Apple Fanboi. But I do see why people like it. I bought a used 5S and it works well. It took Apple a good while to learn that hardware was important. I remember the original Apple Mac and it was too ahead of its time hardware wise. Their Lisa machine was a flop because of that. Took about 3 model before hardware caught up. You really had to have drunk their kool aid. Windows had the same growing pains but got useable by the second release. But that all history.
Android has always been fairly useful. If you had substandard hardware it compensated fairly well. It lets folks that don’t want to spend a lot have a very usable phone. Manufacturers like that as it provides a full product line.
Since I couldn’t wait I bought a used IP 7 for use with my OPN1 , and I don’t think the IOS is a better os, there are things I like more in Android, It is a blessing not having apps updating the whole day. A phone is for calling and a mail reader/ internet device. For phone I like it very much. The other thing are ok to live with. It works almost 2 days on a charge.
Google is late to the party supporting HA if it is true. Best thing they could have done was licencing the Apple audio over BLE protocol, so all made for iphone HA would work on android, but that is not going to happen.
Yes. Handsfree in the car is really nice. The iphone seems to have better integration with the aids. The Android Oticon app is near to useless for me.
If they ever were given the option which, knowing Apple, seems unlikely. Unlikely anyway, because it may be closely bound to hardware, which Google cannot control.
Pixel and Bt seems not very lucky:
This is all very well but still…the HA manufacturers need to make THEIR products work with the standardized bluetooth that all the various Android devices MIGHT get around to implementing. As it is, we only have one manufacturer that works with bluetooth standards and that’s only at 4.2. Not 5.
I’m able to keep or change my aids in another 3 years (company benefits) so I’ll wait and see. If it’s still only mfi then maybe I’ll just have to finally bite that bullet and get something Apple. 
I think this is more common than you think. We’ve certainly heard of numerous Bluetooth issues on the forum. It’s complicated by many users not really knowing how it’s supposed to work.
Even if it works, as long as you need a Pixel for it, that is as expensive as an Iphone.
There are other options than the Pixel. Of course they might be equally expensive. A quick look finds the Samsung S9 with 5, a2dp, LE and aptx. No I’m no Samsung fanboy although some have a nifty “hearing test” included.
The 2.4 Ghz Technology and MFi are same…?
2.4 Ghz Technology in current Hearing Aids will be work in Future Android version?