What are Bluetooth Hearing Aids?

Bluetooth hearing aids have changed how those who suffer from hearing loss experience the modern world, adding versatility and convenience to everyday life. Bluetooth hearing aids now allow those affected by hearing loss to customize their hearing experience to address their personal needs.

Moreso, the addition of Bluetooth technology to hearing aids has made hearing aids more than simple hearing assistive devices. These hearing aids may offer streaming in the form of music, media, or phone calls, making everyday life that much easier and more enjoyable. 

Take note, however, it’s important to check whether a Bluetooth-enabled device can stream for all of the above. Some devices are Bluetooth-enabled, allowing the wearer to connect the hearing aids to a smartphone, for example, but do not have streaming capabilities. 

What is a Bluetooth hearing aid?

As the name suggests, a Bluetooth hearing aid is simply a hearing aid that uses Bluetooth wireless technology to connect to a smart device (such as a smartphone). Bluetooth is a name synonymous with wireless connectivity, it’s a method of wireless communication between electronic devices that allows the transfer of data between electronic devices using high-frequency radio waves. 

Initially, Bluetooth hearing aids offered a way for manufacturers to give control of a hearing aid wearer's experience to the user itself, typically through an app on the smart device.

Bluetooth is also capable of streaming phone calls, music, and audio through the hearing aid from a smart device, similar to what you see with wireless headphones or earbuds. Some devices, like the Go Ultra OTC hearing aid, can stream music, media, and phone calls, directly from your smartphone to your hearing aids!

Apple vs. Android: Does it matter?

Bluetooth is technically a third-party wireless communication protocol - which is just a fancy way of saying it’s an unbiased wireless “language” for electronic devices. What this means is that it doesn’t make a difference if the smart device you’re using to connect your hearing aids is an Apple or Android device because the language is the same across any Bluetooth-compatible device. 

In saying this, there are some small differences between Apple and Android devices to note, and while you can certainly use a Bluetooth hearing aid across both platforms without any issues, there are some things to consider.

Apple

Apple does slightly nudge ahead of Android when it comes to optimizing the Bluetooth hearing aid experience as they have patented a particular Bluetooth connection with hearing aids, which allows them to communicate with devices such as iPhones and iPads.

The main benefit of this optimized Bluetooth connection that many manufacturers call “Made for iPhone™”, is that it reduces the amount of battery power needed to power the Bluetooth connection, giving you a longer battery life for your hearing aids. 

Android

Android is by no means non-compatible with Bluetooth hearing aids (as long as the device is running Android 10.0 or higher). The only difference is that there is no direct communication or connection between Android devices and hearing aids (such as we see from Apple) other than the standard Bluetooth connectivity. 

The only drawback here is that Android devices do not optimize battery life and so it may drain the battery faster than if the same hearing aid was connected to an Apple device. Google is currently working on similar hearing aid compatibility and optimization, to enhance your hearing aid experience but it is unclear when that will be released.

Benefits of Bluetooth hearing aids

While most of the benefits of Bluetooth hearing aids come from the ability to stream phone calls and media directly to your hearing aids, these features are not widely adopted as yet. One of the biggest benefits of Bluetooth connectivity is still customizability, which is something that we at Go Hearing have adopted extensively in our range of Bluetooth hearing aids. 

Bluetooth hearing aids can be customized according to your specific needs, allowing you to switch various settings independently. Not only does this give you greater control over your hearing aid itself, as you can conveniently change the volume of your hearing aid, but you can also customize various profiles for different environments so that you get the best possible hearing experience at any given time. 

In Summary