Oh My - Has Phonak stopped using disposable batteries?

@mr.smithster said:

But I understand and respect those that choose batteries. Its just a personal individual choice and there is no right or wrong in which works best. Its what works best for you.

But you’re missing the point because there’s really “No Real Choice” if Phonak has written off disposable batteries. Phonak was one of the few HA manufacturers that made very good Power Aids using 675 battery. If Phonak is dumping 675 batteries, then future Phonak Power aids will be chump change. As in worthless. So if Phonak stops making power aids, then that leaves us what - Oticon. Maybe Resound? And that’s about it.

And I can tell you flat out any power aid that is limited to some rechargeable battery is not going to work well at all. Cause if a Power Aid loses size 13 or 675 disposal battery - it’s lost its Mojo.

Zeekr begins deliveries of its 001 EV with world leading 1000km range6

No dog in the fight. But here’s a data point.

WH

Yes, about the frequency (of really, infrequency) of hospital stays. And then too, wouldn’t it be possible for folks to have visitors bring them their charger? After all, they were most likely brought to the hospital by someone that cares for them. However, I live alone. Some don’t have folks to visit them in hospital. Us loners live with that possibility!

Still, my guess is that in an emergency, replaceable battery owners will forget these last when rushed off to the ER just as much as they might forget their charger

Ahhh, nothing like going into major surgery with a significant hearing loss, everyone wearing masks and your aid now dead because you couldn’t recharge battery over night. But rest assured when you wake up from surgery you start “above” process all over again, since no one cares or thought to recharge your aid batteries.

But then again who even knows if there is a nearby power outlet near your hospital bed, if you happen to need monitoring equipment and other medical life support that require electrical connection. And if you happen to be in ICU, well good luck finding a power outlet for your 3’ battery charger power cord. That might not reach a power source.

You nailed it. In an actual emergency I was down to one hearing aid for most of a month, and sometimes didn’t wear that because I was afraid of losing it while in the bush lugging a fire hose. There were some comical moments communicating but I muddled through. The real fun started when I lost my voice for a week due to smoke inhalation. Muddled through that as well. At the time I just figured that anyone else would have done the same, charging from a vehicle etc. But after reading dozens of imagined scenarios here I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m actually Superman.

“No hardship getting batteries…” Really? As I mentioned earlier, I’ve often found CVS or other stores sold out of my particular brand of battery. Whereas, the damn travel charger is right there, in my home, ready to use, and holds three full charges. How is it that ordering batteries from Amazon and then waiting for delivery, or going out to CVS for batteries that may or may not be there is EASIER than reaching in a drawer in my home and pulling out my 3 ounce travel charger that fits into a pocket and the palm of my hand?
I don’t follow.

Oh come on - disposable batteries are sold every where in mass quantity . Any size for any purpose. Now they are more expensive at CVS, Walgreens, etc., versus online orders - but no one loses any sleep about lack of HA batteries nearby where they live or travel.

I wish “pumpers for rechargeable batteries” would stop trying to defend their position, versus just coming out and saying “all HA manufacturers should offer aids that can use rechargeable and throw away”. It’s called “choice” which obviously the buying HA population wants.

Signia had a similar point when they began to focus on rechargeable hearing aids (I guess that was about one year ago - not sure…). However, a few months into that they came out with a disposable battery device to keep their current customer base.
I believe that’s a way Phonak could also go…

@jeffrey said:

How is it that ordering batteries from Amazon and then waiting for delivery, or going out to CVS for batteries that may or may not be there is EASIER than reaching in a drawer in my home and pulling out my 3 ounce travel charger…

I can’t answer, because that isn’t how I manage my battery supply. When I’m down to one box of batteries (ten 6- or 8-packs) at home, I place another order, typically from the Hearing Tracker online shop these days. I don’t “wait” for them because I’m nowhere near running out, and they arrive in few days. I’ve also bought from Amazon, and from Costco in-store. In five years of wearing hearing aids, I’ve never been caught short and had to buy at a local pharmacy for 3x or 4x the cost. As much as 5x the cost if you compare to Costco.

Now I think I better understand why you consider rechargeables such a boon. I can imagine myself feeling the same way, if I were regularly on the verge of running out of disposable batteries.

well if you can carry an extra charger in your pocket and always do, I guess you are covered. we had traveled with a charger that did not work, and my husband was SOL. Had he brought the battery aids and the battery went out you just change them. well if you cannot find hearing aid batteries at a drug store I don’t know. I have never been in a drug store that did not carry those. whatever works for you. anyway having a pack of batteries in your wallet or purse, how hard is that???

I don;t NEED an extra charger in my pocket at all times…for heaven’s sake, folks speak as if rechargeable aids were always on the brink of dying, always at the most inopportune moment. Not at all. My aids still have a ton life left when I place them in the charger at night before going to bed.

Of course I don’t fill my pants pockets with a charger before going out for the day and night. My aids are fully charged or 3/4 full. Would battery folks bring batteries if they’d jsut put in new batteries the day before? Maybe!

I don’t spend my life worrying about one potential crisis after the other. That’s a hard way to live.

@stevemink said:

I’m not sure I’d put Signia Motion Charge and Go in the same category as the power aids above.

You should, they are very similar in power output, both P (Power) and SP (Super Power) are suitable for profound hearing loss. Just because they don’t use 675 battery doesn’t mean they can’t meet the required Power output, just means they would run out of battery life quicker, so 675 is about battery life not Power output in this case.

@stevemink said:

Let’s see in this group who has the fortitude and wise foresight to continue to offer size 13 and 675 battery for their respective power aids.

Yes this will be interesting to see, so many of the manufacturer’s pushing rechargeable now, I think the 675 will stay a bit longer otherwise the rechargeable battery will make for a large UP HA over all.

@stevemink said:

When a hearing aid brand gets three, four or five years old usually a new line of aids come out.

It’s much quicker than that, approximately 24 months for new platform sometimes, new models with no real impressive features can be updated every year! They have a habit of calling something “all new” when it’s not.
I think batteries will be around a little while yet, maybe like cars, a while away for 100% EV

The market is reacting directly to demand. If the demand is there, the manufacturers will provide. There is no conspiracy, to push consumers to rechargeables, its just market driven. Ask any audi, the overwhelming majority choose rechargeables and so the manufacturers answer that demand. I get it and it sucks if you like batteries, but same when my Betamax tapes went extinct because VHS won the consumer demand.

@mr.smithster said:

I get it and it sucks if you like batteries, but same when my Betamax tapes went extinct because VHS won the consumer demand.

Yep. Earlier I mentioned roll down car windows. I prefer these to electric windows. Ah, well, they’re not to be had anymore. Lots of folks prefer earlier iterations of computer operating systems. Gone with the wind! I liked Red Delicious apples: not available anymore. And actually, the current crop of apples really are better, especially in terms of crispness. Where are the snows of yesteryear? I’m not one who thinks all developments in tech are for the better. Who listens to me, in the grand scheme of things? I have no control and am just happy that the trend in HAs has been upwards for years. We live in privileged times, my friends! Our parents and every generation before from the dawn of time would have given everything to have their hearing.