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Aids for Android vs iphone

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I’m currently wearing Phonak Marvel M-90 aids. Back when I got these, they were about the only higher end aid that worked well with android (my understanding and per my audiologist)

I had trialed oticon but to work with android it needed a seperate belt clip box.

Somettime withing the past year, I visited Costco to see the Sennhgeiser. The fitter let me try a different brand in the store…I think it was rexton.

Those seemed great just on a little 5-minute trial, but I was told they work with iphone not android.

I need a new phone soon, and don’t really want to have to relearn IOS but it seems like maybe there are more options for aids that work well with iphone. I love using my aids for bluetooth phone calls and for streaming, so that’s important to me.

Up to now, Phonak (and Sennheiser) ahve been about the only aids on my radar.

What brands and high end models would be available to me in a similar class of aids, if I switch to IOS?

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Edited

It depends what phone you are considering. However for Android, Oticon, Phillips, Jabra, Resound, and Starkey will work with Pixel 9 and 10 and many of the newer Samsung phones.

I wouldn’t consider the IOS, since it doesn’t offer as of yet.

Compatibility guide2

If hearing-in-noise is more important then Auracast, then Phonak’s high end hearing aids are probably the best choice. The downside is that Phonak is still using the old Bluetooth setup. The newer Bluetooth has much better connectivity.

From what I’ve read, any phone with Bluetooth 5.4 should work with anything, and that’s most of what’s being sold today, except for the cheapest phones. I used my $300 Moto Stylus on a Sennheiser All Day Clear trial, and it was a winning combination. Cheap phone, OTC aids.

@srroat said:

From what I’ve read, any phone with Bluetooth 5.4 should work with anything

Simply no. The Bluetooth version number tells you nothing for sure. If it did, any recent iPhone would “work with anything”. You have to check each phone’s capabilities.

Agree – the version these days say nothing. It’s not just about the chip, it’s also about the drivers, the OS and the connection protocol (, , LE, etc).

You don’t need to switch to iOS.

If you have a modern high-end Android with Bluetooth (like some Samsungs, most Pixels, and a few others), any hearing aid from Costco will connect to your phone and streaming will be good.

If you don’t have one of those high-endAndroid phones then yes, stick with Phonak/Sennheiser. They have universal connectivity (connects to almost everything that has bluetooth without the need of an accessory).

IOS plays very well with all hearing aids sold by Costco (Sennheiser works a bit different but the bluetooth connection works well). Some may say that it is not as good because it doesn’t support LE Audio but, in my opinion, Phonak/Sennheiser have the most solid bluetooth (this may be debatable).

If you’re satisfied with your Marvels, why change brands? (it if it is not broken, don’t fix it). There’s a new Sennheiser (which is a Phonak) coming out sometime this year: If possible, you may want to wait until the new one comes out.

it’s more than just the bluetooth type/version, right?

If the accompanying smartphone app and connectivity features are optimized say for ios, then it may not work as well or the user may not get all the featrures, even if the bluetooth itself connects just fine to android…..

I don’t know anything about the current offerings and apps, I’m just extending logic from experience with other applications

I am a Android user. I have found with the correct Android phone the apps work the same. And now Samsung phones and Google pixel phones have le audio and and IOS doesn’t has it.

In reply to @OcramSagev

@OcramSagev said:

Some may say that it is not as good because it doesn’t support LE Audio but, in my opinion, Phonak/Sennheiser have the most solid bluetooth (this may be debatable).

has been rock solid with my Pixel 10 and Philips 9050 hearing aids. The old Bluetooth would drop out with my Pixel 10 and the Philips 9040 hearing aids

Edited

I have the Phonak Spheres and they have great connection to my Samsung phone, Fire Tablet, Kindle, and old Samsung Tablet. I have as backup aids my Oticon INTENT1 aids with le audio and they will only connect with my Samsung phone. But they are le audio and connectivity is also solid. I left IOS because every time there was an update it broke connectivity. Android has been rock solid but it has to be the right hardware. I agree not all Android devices are created equally.

If phone compatibility is a big issue. Every hearing aid manufacturer has a compatibility list on their website.

I too am using the Phonak Marvel M90 aids with a Pixle 8 android phone and have zero complaints. This combination has been so reliable, that I was offered new Phonak aids for free from the , and I declined. I did have them replace the batteries, and hope to keep using them for many more years.

I’ve found the Pixel phones to be very reliable overall and with 7 years of system and security updates, I see no reason to change. I understand that Android phones out sell all other phones worldwide, so the choices of hearing aids compatible with the android system should always be large.

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