Phonak Infinio sphere - Not really that appealing (after all)

I have the INTENT1 aids and they are great in noisy environments. The battery life is over 20 hours and that is with me streaming audiobooks and calls.

Yes you are correct regarding the 7 hour number. Seems with these aids you’ll have to factor in your given “day of activities” and then decide how best to use aids in sphere mode. I can see older people possibly forgetting what mode the aids are in and if kept is “noise cancellation” longer then normal or permanently then have some serious battery drain issue. But in Phonak’s favor the company right now might have the best “noise cancellation” feature on the market. But just saying its a bumpy ride if your going to buy these aids knowing how to milk battery power when aids are in sphere mode.

Well I am 77 and still ride motorcycles, travel the country. Been wearing aids for 20 years. Enjoy what ever I wish to do. And Yes I now some of my fellow veteran that are even younger than my children that have injuries that severely limit their capability to even walk and feed themselves. And i know a lot of seniors that make me feel like a teenager that are more active than I am. So it isn’t fair to lump age as a handicap.

You miss the point completely just like Flash. With HA manufacturers pushing rechargeable aids, the life expectency of a rechargeable battery is critical. For anyone who uses a hearing aid. The Infinio sphere losses a substantial amount of battery life while in “noise cancellation mode”. Don’t know about you but the last thing I want is be caught some where away from home and my aids stop working due to dead battery. You know like dead battery - dead hearing aid. And I can tell you flat out seniors out there wearing HA’s don’t want to be away from home and experience a hearing aid shutting off due to dead battery. Unfortunately that’s going to happen more often with the Phonak Infinio if left operating in the sphere mode day in day out. Now if seniors could carry a few disposable batteries with them (when out and about), should their aid battery go dead, they would be happy campers. Because they can do a battery replacement. But alas the Infinio sphere only works with rechargeable batteries. Thus a guessing game day in day out how much battery life an aid user has, especially for some older folks.

I’m not talking stair climber here dude. I’m talking about HA that are user friendly to everyone but mostly for seniors who happen to be the largest percentage of HA users period. So read on and see the “forest for the trees”.

Phonak Infinio Sphere hearing aid will noticeably lose battery life when used extensively in "Sphere mode"because this mode utilizes a lot of processing power due to its advanced spatial audio features, resulting in increased battery consumption compared to standard hearing aid modes; essentially, the more you use Sphere mode, the faster your battery will drain.

@SayAgain3, I don’t know how familiar you are with the forum topics covered in Sphere reviews, but in almost every one, it was noted that despite Sphere mode consuming energy, the battery usually lasts at least a whole day.

It is also worth noting that in July and August there was much disbeliefs and doubts about the denoising quality and operating duration on a single charge, until the first users described their experiences.

It was also said that, in practice, the noise level rarely necessitates activating Spheric Speech Clarity.

There are always “childhood problems” with new technology; AI is no exception.

However, if I were, for example, 72 years old, I would be happy to take advantage of the even imperfect new technology now, rather than, for example, in 2026.

I am 35, and despite being younger than many users here, I would prefer to try the AI now rather than in my 40s.

@SayAgain3 said:

You miss the point completely just like Flash. With HA manufacturers pushing rechargeable aids, the life expectency of a rechargeable battery is critical.

@cvkemp and I are not missing the point. Anecdotal evidence points to robust battery life with the Sphere, even using the denoising program. As @Bimodal_user points out, you need to investigate some of the ongoing threads on their performance. BTW, I’m an Oticonian, but admire Phonak’s paradigm. The Phonakians are definitely the majority, here.

@SayAgain3 said:

I’m not talking stair climber here dude. I’m talking about HA that are user friendly to everyone but mostly for seniors who happen to be the largest percentage of HA users period.

Dude, I don’t wish to wreck my knees on a stair climber . And the most user friendly feature to be incorporated into modern hearing aids is dependable rechargeable technology, imho.
Bottom line, you don’t need to go the Phonak route if you have doubts, and you can certainly purchase a device with disposable batteries if that’s your jam.
Your OP defines your feelings, and that’s great. You said your piece, and we’ve discussed our opinions, which is what this forum is all about.
S’All GoodMan!

Everyone has their own opinion, but I think anyone who doesn’t like rechargeable HAs makes unfounded assumptions and doesn’t speak for me or most seniors with real life use experience. I’m 81 and live in the desert near many golf courses and silent wilderness, and spend as little time as possible in noisy settings. I much prefer rechargeable batteries to the inconvenience of fiddling with child proof batteries. I recharge them at night, then wear them all day with absolutely no worries. There are valid reasons most HAs are rechargeable. I plan to get the Sphere, with its many reviewed advantages, next May as soon as it available through the VA.

Although that thread has derailed a little but, I believe Phonak is behind the curve right now. Some people complain that the sphere mode is intrusive and not everyone feels confortable in this mode. Also, in different reviews the reviewers could not hear a difference between a sphere and an intent in noisy situations, and yet the intent half as a large as the sphere. The way it operates is also smoother. The biggest advance Phonak has is its superb Bluetooth. Having tired it, it works great. I believe Phonak has its work cut out for them to improve the usability and the form factor of the sphere. Not everyone has enough space behind the ears for such large hearing aids.

This is a superb way to live. I am also in my 70’s and feel the same. Too damn old now to worry about drama. I have the Starkey Edge AI 24 model and no need to stress about battery life. All day and streaming and mine usually show 75% remaining after at least 12 hours.

You are lucky to have a choice, just as those who chose to use buggy whips had a choice. The market and technology will determine what is available.

Yea no need for stress with major power outages, faulty battery chargers, forgetting to charge battery after a long night of partying, Living in Florida in hurricane season, traveling with your trusty charger (whoops I lost it), living in hot humid areas with no aid drying ability, etc. etc. etc. Yea - no stress

I have a few power banks—assuming:

• e.g., a 200 mAh battery in my HA (maybe fewer) and
• a 20,000 mAh power bank capacity, and
• let’s say, 50% efficiency of current transfer (maybe too pessimistic)
• 100% battery usage every day.

I have almost two months of energy reserves in one power bank.

For everyday use, in addition to my rechargeable hearing aid, I use disposables in my sound processor, switching to rechargeable ones if they run out during the day.
I think there is no point in convincing one another on that issue, because neither harms anyone.