Bernafon talks about custom Made For iPhone hearing aids
While Oticon has been busy, their stablemate Bernafon has been also. They are revealing a lot more about their own Zerena Made For iPhone custom hearing aids. Here is what they will have on offer.
First Behind The Ear, Now In The Ear
Initially and like Oticon, Bernafon offered the Zerena in behind the ear type devices only. I have worn a set for a while now and I have to say I have been impressed with them. Now they are ready to release their In The Ear range and they have started to publicise the devices. They have also introduced two new lower-end technology levels to the Zerena platform the Zerena 3 and the Zerena 1. You can see the feature overviews below, click on the image to show a larger image for easier reading.
Five Zerena Custom Hearing Aid Types
The new Zerena customs will be available in five different In The Ear models at five different technology levels. That's an IIC. a CIC, an ITC, a Half Shell ITE and a Full Shell ITE. The last three in that list will be Made For iPhone hearing aids which will make many people happy. It makes Bernafon the joint second hearing aid brand with Oticon to offer Made For iPhone custom hearing aids. Let's take a look at the devices.
Invisible In Canal
They say "The IIC is the smallest custom hearing instrument available. It is designed to fit entirely into the ear canal and is therefore in most cases invisible. It is suitable for users with mild to profound hearing losses.." The IIC will definitely not be Made For iPhone and in fact may not be wireless at all. Bernafon has taken the new hardware advances jointly made with Oticon in the design of the device and they say it will be the smallest IIC they have ever produced. They believe that it should physically fit 8 out of every 10 people. The devices appear to be powered with a size 10 battery.
Completely In Canal
They say "The CIC custom hearing instrument is designed to fit almost entirely inside the ear canal and is therefore barely visible. It is suitable for users with mild to profound hearing losses.." Again, the CIC devices will not be MFI enabled, however, I would expect them to be wireless enabled. That should mean that they will be compatible with Bernafon's own wireless hearing aid accessories. The devices appear to be powered with a size 10 battery. Looking at the faceplate of the CICs, they could be a twin mic hearing aid, which may mean directional microphone features and functionality.
In The Canal
They say "The ITC custom hearing instrument is designed to fit in the lower third of the external ear and is ideal for users with limited dexterity. It is suitable for users with mild to profound hearing losses." I have confirmed that this will be the smallest custom Made For iPhone hearing aid in the range. This is an excellent hearing aid, it will be Made For iPhone and have access to their SoundClip-A, while being pretty discreet.
In The Ear Half Shell
They say "The ITE HS is the largest and most powerful of all custom hearing instruments. It is designed to fit half the external ear and is ideal for users with limited dexterity and reduced vision. It is suitable for users with mild to profound hearing losses." Half-shell devices offer the best of both worlds, a slightly easier to handle device that offers manual controls, while still being relatively discreet. The half-shell device will be MFI enabled and give you access to the SoundClip-A. I haven't heard yet whether they will be able to fit a telecoil in it though.
In The Ear Full Shell
They say "The ITE FS is the largest and most powerful of all custom hearing instruments. It is designed to fit the entire external ear and is ideal for users with limited dexterity and reduced vision. It is suitable for users with mild to profound hearing losses." The full shell will be powered by a size 13 battery and it will have a telecoil on board. It is also MFI enabled and will connect to the SoundClip-A and Bernafon's other wireless accessories.
Bernafon is to launch the Zerena custom devices to the market at the end of October 2018. As the devices are released and we get the full technical details, we will add them to our Bernafon Hearing Aids Brand Page. So keep checking back for more.
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Posted by Geoff
Geoffrey Cooling
Geoffrey (Geoff, anything else makes him nervous) Cooling is an Irish hearing aid blogger and has been involved with the hearing aid industry for over ten years. He has worked in private practice dispensing hearing aids and as a manufacturer's rep. He has written two books and they are both available on Amazon. He loves technology, passing on knowledge and is legendary for many other things, primarily the amount he curses, his dry and mischievous sense of humour and his complete intolerance of people who are full of themselves. Please feel free to connect with him
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