Phonak Virto™ B-Titanium, Phonak Audéo™ B-Direct, and EasyView Otoblock honored for excellence in product design quality
Stäfa, Switzerland, July 31, 2018 – Phonak, the leading global provider of hearing aids and wireless communication solutions, has been honored with three international Red Dot Awards for excellence in product design. The product award winners include: Virto B-Titanium, the world’s first mainstream titanium custom hearing aid; Audéo B-Direct, a revolutionary Bluetooth®* hearing aid that directly connects to any cell phone** and TV; and EasyView Otoblock, an innovative product for hearing care professionals that allows for deeper ear impressions. The winners were celebrated at the Red Dot Gala earlier this month in Essen, Germany.
“Three Red Dot Award winners in one year is proof of what happens when you combine Phonak’s dedication to superior product design with a never-ending quest to push the limits of innovation,” said Thomas Lang, Senior Vice President at Phonak. “Receiving honors for the Virto B-Titanium and EasyView Otoblock are a tribute to the amount of research and development Phonak devotes to producing the most cosmetically-appealing and highest-quality custom products on the market. Meanwhile the awards for the revolutionary Audéo B-Direct keep on adding up!”
Virto B-Titanium
The Virto B-Titanium is the world’s first mainstream custom hearing aid made of premium medical-grade titanium. It combines the benefits of titanium including superior strength and an extra light weight with the latest in 3D printing technology. Compared to traditional acrylic, titanium shells are 15X stronger and 50% thinner, making Virto B-Titanium the smallest and most discreet custom hearing aid Phonak has ever produced.
Audéo B-Direct is the first Bluetooth hearing aid that provides universal connectivity to any cell phone or TV. It’s also the first hearing aid to directly connect to phones running Android™, the world’s most popular smartphone operating system*. Hearing aid wearers can answer or reject a phone call and talk completely hands-free by pressing the push button on their hearing aid. Meanwhile, the optional TV Connector uses proprietary AirStream™ technology to seamlessly connect wearers to their favorite TV programming for an immersive audio experience.
The EasyView Otoblock gives hearing care professionals the ability to take deeper ear impressions by allowing full visualization of the ear drum. Made from the seal of a Phonak Lyric™, the EasyView Otoblock attaches to existing otoscopes and speculas to provide better vision and light during Otoblock placement. It’s compatible with standard impression-making materials and stays on the impression during the scanning process. This can result in an average of 6mm more canal length information, helping Phonak 3D modelers design the smallest, most discreet custom hearing aid possible.
“I want to congratulate the award winners sincerely on their wonderful success in the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2018. Success in the competition is proof of the good design quality of the products and once again shows that companies are on the right path. When I speak about good design, I am referring to more than just an attractive product. All of the products are characterized by outstanding functionality. This demonstrates that the designers have understood their clients and their needs,” said Professor Dr. Peter Zec, founder and CEO of the Red Dot Award.
For an inside look into the people behind Phonak’s Red Dot Award-winning products, visit: Phonak Virto-B titanium 2018 Red Dot Award, Audéo B-Direct, Phonak Easyview Otoblock 2018 Red Dot Award and Three Red Dot Awards for Phonak in 2018
For more information, please visit www.phonak.com, www.phonakpro.com or the Phonak Partner Page on AudiologyOnline.
* Bluetooth is a registered trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc.; Android™ is a trademark owned by Google, Inc.
** with Bluetooth® 4.2 wireless technology and most older Bluetooth phones
About Phonak
Headquartered near Zurich, Switzerland, Phonak, a member of the Sonova Group, was created in 1947 out of a passion for taking on the most difficult hearing challenges. Seventy years later, this passion remains. As the industry’s leading innovator, 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 creating a world where ‘Life is on’ for everyone.
At Phonak, we believe that hearing well is essential to living life to the fullest. For more than 70 years, we have remained true to our mission by developing pioneering hearing solutions that change people’s lives to thrive socially and emotionally. Life is on.
About the Red Dot Design Award
In order to appraise the diversity in the field of design in a professional manner, the Red Dot Design Award breaks down into the three disciplines of Red Dot Award: Product Design, Red Dot Award: Communication Design and Red Dot Award: Design Concept. The Red Dot Award is one of the world’s largest design competitions. In 1955, a jury convened for the first time to assess the best designs of the day. In the 1990s, Red Dot CEO Professor Dr. Peter Zec developed the name and brand of the award. Ever since, the sought-after Red Dot award has been the revered international seal of outstanding design quality. Further information available at www.red-dot.de.
