Including Audéo B-R the quickest charging, longest lasting rechargeable hearing aid ever produced.
Warrenville, IL – August 19, 2016 – Phonak, the leading global provider of hearing instruments and wireless communication solutions, today announces that its next generation hearing aid product platform Belong, which includes pioneering lithium-ion rechargeable battery technology in hearing aids is now commercially available in the US market. Specially designed to empower people with hearing loss to keep up with their lifestyles, the new Audéo B Receiver-in-Canal (RIC) products and the first of its kind lithium-ion rechargeable hearing aid, Audéo B-R, come in a new design and will be available in 4 performance levels and 9 colors.
Highlights include:
- Phonak offers the next generation hearing aid platform Belong with the new Audéo B RIC products
- New platform includes Audéo B-R the first ever hearing aid to feature a built-in lithium-ion rechargeable battery providing 24 hours* of hearing
- Audéo B-R represents the quickest charging, longest lasting rechargeable hearing aid ever produced
- AutoSense OS: the cutting edge industry only system further enhanced for unmatched hearing performance
Research1 revealed that rechargeable batteries and rechargeable hearing aids are top of the list of features that hearing aid users are seeking. In response to this insight and based on years of research, development and intensive testing, Phonak Audéo B-R opens a new era to those affected by hearing loss. During product testing, reaction from both hearing care professionals and patient was extremely positive.
“Having the Phonak platform in a rechargeable option has been the best thing for both my patients and myself,” said Tiffany Sexton, AuD, CCC-A, F-AAA, Lifestyle Hearing. Rochester Hills, MI. “The Phonak platform is leaps and bounds above anything that I fit previously, and having it in a rechargeable option has made my job so much easier and it's made my patients so much more willing to try hearing aids. I see a lot of working people in their forties and fifties that now are willing to get hearing aids because Phonak has a rechargeable option.”
Today, lithium-ion is the fastest growing and most promising battery technology that offers 40% more power than conventional rechargeable batteries, making Phonak Audéo B-R the quickest charging, longest lasting rechargeable hearing aid ever produced. The fast 30-minute charging option gives six hours of immediate use. For those wearers on the go, Phonak rechargeable hearing aids also come with smart charging options. The power pack provides power for seven full charges for two hearing aids, perfect for short trips where no power source is available. In addition, Phonak offers a compact mini charger giving users full flexibility.
“There is no other hearing aid on the market that gives you those options for different patient needs,” explained Soriya M. Estes, AuD, Estes Audiology, Central Texas. “Some patients need a power pack to travel and to have that extra charging option, some patients need a desktop unit for their work environment because they're streaming so much with that option. The Phonak rechargeable gives us multiple arrays for patient to patient and their individualized needs for that rechargeable option.”
Audéo B runs on AutoSense OS, the cutting edge industry only and leading operating system from Phonak, which has been further enhanced with features such as adaptive SoundRecover2 to offer even better hearing performance in everyday listening situations. “I've got one patient who is in hog heaven because he can hear his wife now and I've got another patient who has a severe hearing loss and she feels like she has never heard better than when she's wearing these Phonak rechargeables,” said Lori Kirk, HIS, Texas Professional Hearing Center, Baytown TX.
Many other hearing care professionals agree. “This is a just a completely different product than any other rechargeable that’s been on the market,” said Kelli House, MA, F-AAA, Estes Audiology. “From sound quality to ease of use to how long it lasts and ease of charge, this in my opinion, is the game changer for rechargeable hearing aids, without a doubt.”
With Belong, Phonak is once again helping consumers with hearing loss live better lives.
About Phonak
Headquartered near Zurich, Switzerland, Phonak, a member of the Sonova Group, was born in 1947 from a passion and dedication to take on the most difficult hearing challenges. Seventy years later, this passion remains.
As the industry’s leading provider, we offer the broadest portfolio of life-changing hearing solutions. From pediatric to profound hearing loss, we remain committed to creating hearing solutions that change people’s lives to thrive socially and emotionally. We believe in changing lives and creating a world where ‘Life is on’ for everyone.
For more information, please visit www.phonak.com, www.phonakpro.com, or the Phonak Expo Page on AudiologyOnline.
* Expected results when fully charged, and up to 80 minutes wireless streaming time.
[1] Marketrak 2015, asked of non-owners only (n=2099) - multiple responses allowed
