HT202186: About Hearing Aid Compatibility (HAC) requirements for iPhone

Learn about About Hearing Aid Compatibility (HAC) requirements for iPhone
Roey M.
Level 1 (4 points)
Mac OS X

Q: iPhone hearing aids should be available 2013 ?

Has Apple made an Iphone for hearing aids, as mentioned in their HAC article (updated Sept 2013)?   It is now 2014 --- has this become a reality?

iPhone 4

Posted on Feb 8, 2014 9:49 AM

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Roey M.

Q: iPhone hearing aids should be available 2013 ?

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  • by diesel vdub,

    diesel vdub diesel vdub Feb 8, 2014 12:22 PM in response to Roey M.
    Level 7 (22,030 points)
    Feb 8, 2014 12:22 PM in response to Roey M.

    Apple doesn't make Hearing Aides.

     

    As stated in the article:

    The iPhone 4 and iPhone 5 are hearing-aid compatible under the FCC requirements for hearing-aid compatibility (HAC).

  • by Roey M.,

    Roey M. Roey M. Feb 8, 2014 12:38 PM in response to diesel vdub
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Feb 8, 2014 12:38 PM in response to diesel vdub

    I know Apple does not make hearing aids.  I was just questioning a portion of Apple's article about HAC - pasted here:

     

    Made for iPhone hearing aids

    Apple is working with top manufacturers to introduce Made for iPhone hearing aids that will deliver a power-efficient, high-quality digital audio experience (Requires iPhone 4S or later and iOS 6 or later). Made for iPhone hearing aids should be available starting in 2013.

     

    Hearing aid compatibility and iPhone hearing aids are two different subjects. 

    Being 2014, I wanted to know if anything further had been done on this important matter (for me and many other hearing impaired iPhone users).

  • by diesel vdub,

    diesel vdub diesel vdub Feb 8, 2014 12:41 PM in response to Roey M.
    Level 7 (22,030 points)
    Feb 8, 2014 12:41 PM in response to Roey M.

    That would be a question for hearing aide manufacturers, not so much for Apple.

     

    Regardless, no one in these user to user support forums would know any more than what is publicly available.

  • by Steve Stoltz,

    Steve Stoltz Steve Stoltz Jan 14, 2015 3:47 PM in response to Roey M.
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 14, 2015 3:47 PM in response to Roey M.

    Yes, iPhone hearing aids are a reality. I just got a set of Starkey Halo 110s.  I bought a new iPhone 6 to go with them.

     

    I am disappointed. I was looking forward to the "outstanding sound quality" promised by the apple accessibility page, and the "pristine" sound promised by Starkey advertisements. Maybe my audiologist messed up the settings, but for listening to music these are among the worst headphone I have ever heard. When it comes to phone calls, the sound is more clear if I turn off streaming and turn on the speaker phone. As to ease of use just check other user comments. Compared to what I have come to expect from apple product and most accessories, the iPhone features of these hearing aids are a big disappointment.

     

    To be fair, I have no problem with the hearing aids themselves. I can hear more clearly and in more situations all without feedback or acoustic artifacts, But the overall quality of the iPhone interface is so poor compared to its promise that it has shaken my confidence in my audiologist and the Starkey product line.

     

    Steve Stoltz