iPhone not hearing-aid compatible?

Question

Level 1

8 points

iPhone not hearing-aid compatible?

I tried an iPhone today and was disappointed to hear quite a lot of electrical interference with my bionic ear, a Nucleus 22 cochlear implant with a Cochlear Corp. Esprit 3G processor.

Now, cell-phone noises are sometimes heard by hearing aid users. For example, there is a characteristic chortle and warble from some poorly-shielded GSM-compatible phones when they're dialing and sometimes when they're connected. (My current Motorola Pebl is very quiet in this regard.) But some phones present a loud buzzing sound to hearing aid users who use their aids' telecoils (as most folks do). To my disappointment, the iPhone is one of these. Despite their integration of a telecoil, such phones are useable only with a headset or corded adapter, meaning they're unsuitable for quick pocketable access.

What a pity! A sliver of mu metal in the right places would have greatly benefited the hearing-aid compatibility of the iPhone. I was really looking forward to its other features and functionality and its marvelous user interface, but unfortunately the unit I tested was unsuitable for my everyday use.

As a longtime Apple fan and shareholder, my hope is that this flaw might have been discovered by Apple and rectified in subsequent units. I will hope for good news on this forum in that regard.

Thanks,

--Scott
San Jose, California

Thinkpad T60p Windows XP Pro

Thinkpad T60p Windows XP Pro

Posted on Jul 3, 2007 6:27 PM

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Answer 1

Bontemps

Level 2

310 points

Jul 3, 2007 6:48 PM in response to sjinsjca

I wear hearing aids as well. And I do know of the warble/chatter you talk about. The iPhone did not do that to me when I am using it. I just have to be mindful of where I put the speaker (not in the ear, apparently. LOL) and make sure it is near the mic on the aid. I have been happy with the performance so far. My hearing loss is 40/60 and I wear about the most powerful over the ear aids you can get. I just wish the hearing aid manufacturers would add bluetooth capability to the hearing aids so we can talk that way using cell phones, even tv/computer sounds.

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Answer 2

Chas Hulme

Level 4

1,130 points

Jul 3, 2007 6:49 PM in response to sjinsjca

You should most definitely post your feedback directly to Apple, here:

http://discussions.apple.com/ann.jspa?annID=384

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Answer 3

Bontemps

Level 2

310 points

Jul 3, 2007 6:54 PM in response to Chas Hulme

I think I will!!! Imagine, a couple years from now. Apple, Inc. enters the hearing aid market with custom features, ringtones, whistles, (just like the mic feedback, LOL) Automatic pick up on tv/stereo that you have the aids tuned t via bluetooth. LOL

The hearing aid makers have told me they are not considering adding bluetooth to the hearing aids.

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Answer 4

Kat566

Level 1

130 points

Jul 3, 2007 7:17 PM in response to Bontemps

Hello, I'm an Audiologist;

Bluetooth requires too much power to integrate it into an actual hearing aid casing, which is why it can not be done at this time. However, there currently are a few hearing aid manufacturers with Bluetooth accessories for hearing aids.

One is the new Oticon Epoq, which has an iPod Nano-sized accessory that pairs with the Bluetooth on the phone or stereo and then sends the sound to the hearing aids via a different wireless interface. That device, called the "streamer" only works with those hearing aids -- they're great instruments if you can afford top-of-the-line, and they can fit up to severe levels of hearing loss: http://oticonusa.com/Oticon/Consumers/Products/Epoq.html

The other device is the ELI, manufactured by Starkey, which can be attached to any hearing instrument that has Direct Audio Input OR via telecoil neckloop. http://www.hearwireless.com/eli.html

Phonak has a Bluetooth compatible device, but I am less familiar with that product, but it seems similar to the Oticon as it uses the accessiry to interface with the bluetooth, and then send the sound to the hearing aids via wireless hearing aid FM frequencies:
http://www.phonak.com/consumer/products/fm/smartlink.htm

I am disappointed to learn that the iPhone is not hearing aid compatible, but wanted to let people know that there are some solutions available, and more on the horizon...

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Answer 5

bberding

Level 1

10 points

Jul 3, 2007 7:15 PM in response to sjinsjca

Hi,

I do not wear hearing aids myself so i cannot speak from experiance, but i asked my my grandmother who does wear hearing aids. She says her's do not make any noise with the iPhone like what you are talking about. She says that when she talks on it everything sounds just like normal. I just thought i would mention this because i knew that she did not take her hearing aids out or anything when she used the iPhone.

I also know that her hearing aids cost $10,000! They are made by Audibel and are supposed to be the best in the world.

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Answer 6

Bontemps

Level 2

310 points

Jul 3, 2007 7:20 PM in response to Kat566

Thanks for the info!!! I will check into both of these options. My hearing aids are 3 years old and I am going to be looking at replacing them in the next 2 years, if not sooner and I will be looking hard at wireless capable ones. I have heard of the two that stream together to help balance out conversations and sound locations. But, nothing about connecting to wireless phones.

Again, thanks!!! and God bless!

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Answer 7

Bontemps

Level 2

310 points

Jul 3, 2007 7:22 PM in response to bberding

At 10 grand, they should walk the dog too!!! LOL, just kidding. Mine only ran 2500 for the pair, but I am not complaining. 😀

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Answer 8

MacMuse

Level 7

20,796 points

Jul 3, 2007 7:23 PM in response to sjinsjca

Aren't cell makers (i.e., Apple), supposed to meet M3/T3 ratings with their products? I don't even see it mentioned in the literature.

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Answer 9

Bontemps

Level 2

310 points

Jul 3, 2007 7:25 PM in response to MacMuse

Is that an FCC requirement? If so, how can Apple not meet that requirement and still get FCC approval? Just curious. 😀

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Answer 10

Kat566

Level 1

130 points

Jul 3, 2007 7:34 PM in response to bberding

Audibel is a subsidiary of Starkey, and their top-of-the-line instruments have automatic phone sensors, so they switch into Telecoil or acoustic phone mode when they sense the electromagnetics of the phone in close proximity. But $10,000.00 is still significantly higher than what we charge for the state-of-the-art devices at our center. I guess it's a geographical difference, but I though NJ would have some of the highest prices...

Both the cell phone AND the hearing instruments need to have a high rating (3-4) for optimal sound quality with minimal interference. An M rating is for acoustic telephone use through the hearing instrument's microphone, and the T rating is for the Telecoil.

GSM (which is the iPhone's system) is known to be the noisiest of the cell phone systems. Part of the challenge with hearing aid compatibility with cell phones is that the FCC regulates the phones, while the FDA regulates hearing instriments.

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Answer 11

Kat566

Level 1

130 points

Jul 3, 2007 7:57 PM in response to Bontemps

Here's a link to a page with more information on cell phones and hearing instruments:
http://www.hearingloss.org/learn/cellphonetech.asp

And another useful site about the subject:
http://accesswireless.org/

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Answer 12

earman

Level 1

0 points

Jul 3, 2007 8:16 PM in response to Bontemps

Hey there,

I am an Audiologist in New York City in a very large private practice. I want to let you know that Oticon ( one of the oldest hearing aid companies) have introduced the first blue tooth compatable hearing aids and they are awesome. They are called "Epoq" and i paired them up to an ipod and my blue tooth phone. They sound great and can be paired to up to , i think 6, maybe 9 different blue tooth devices. The only downside is that you must wear a "streamer" (necklace type device) which allows the hearing aids to communicate via BT.

The wave of bluetooth will be making things easier for hearing aid users in the near future. Soon, you will be seeing blue tooth capable TV's as well....

I hope this info helps and if you have any other questions regarding hearing loss etc. please feel free to e mail me. Hal 🙂

MBP 233 Intel Core Duo2 Mac OS X (10.4.8) also own a Imac G5

MBP 233 Intel Core Duo2 Mac OS X (10.4.8) also own a Imac G5

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Answer 13

MacMuse

Level 7

20,796 points

Jul 4, 2007 8:29 AM in response to Kat566

To summarize this FCC overview on the issue - http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/accessiblewireless.html

Each phone manufacturer must offer at least 2 hearing aid friendly handsets. Hmm, Apple definitely doesn't meet that, perhaps they have an exception since they only have 1 model.

And by Feb. 2008 they must offer 50% of their handsets as hearing aid friendly. I trust that means that iPhone gen 2 will qualify and be available before Feb 2008.

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Answer 14

Jul 12, 2007 8:24 AM in response to sjinsjca

FYI... just posted this to Apple's iPhone Feedback.

I know this may not be a big issue with some but my wife wears hearing aids due to losing some hearing capability during her child bearing days - namely Otosclerosis. Choosing a cell phone for my wife has always been quite a time consuming business and took us trying around 8 different cell phone one time before getting one that worked. Many hearing aids have a telephone switch which needs to be engaged before listening on a phone be it a regular phone or a cell phone. We bought an 8GB iPhone on Friday Jun 29 and we tested it with my wife’s hearing aid.
The first test was a miserable failure with using the hearing aid telephone switch. The iPhone gave out much humming and buzzing when in close proximity to the hearing aid. Wife gave the iPhone a BIG thumbs down even though she could in fact hear everything - but the humming and buzzing sounds made listening very tedious.
The second test was a BIG surprise. I decided that a test without using the hearing aid telephone switch should be done. I don’t know why I bothered with this test or even thougt of it. It could be that I really wanted this iPhone to work for my wife and especially as she found it’s features amazing and style unique. The BIG surprise was that the iPhone produced no humming or buzzing sounds (these sounds BTW are induced in the hearing aid electronics and not the iPhone itself) and my wife exclaimed she could hear perfectly and much better than her current cell phone which is a special Nokia model specifically designed with hearing aids in mind. I tested her with me wihispering into my phone while talking with her using the iPhone and she heard every single word clearly. I reduced the whispering to lower and lower whisper sounds and she continued to hear well. A big bonus here is that my wife does not need to use the telephone switch on the hearing aid which allows her to answer incoming calls much quicker by about 5 to 10 secs and especially so if answering in the car (safer too).
I will add that I had been using a Palm Treo 650 with AT&T(cingular) for past 2+ years and voice quality on the iPhone is significantly superior than I’ve ever experienced on the Treo in all aspects.

Whenever my wife would use the Nokia and activating the telephone switch on her hearing aid the sound amplication in the hearing aid was such that I could hear her telephone conversation across the room or when sitting next to her in the car. She found this annoying, as most people would. The iPhone does not have this characteristic and she is much happier with this, as I am also.

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