Maico Audiological ServicesCell phones are some of the most common items that are carried by individuals today. In fact, there are more cell phones on the planet than people. That being said, it made sense to many people within the cell phone industry to begin helping people gain accessibility to their hearing devices by using mobile devices. The result has been a surge in technology dedicated to helping people use their cell phones to complement their hearing aid devices. Here we will take a look at the history surrounding hearing aids and cell phones and how they have been able to function together.
Smartphones- A Tech Marvel
Smartphones have transformed every aspect of life for their owners. From instant connectivity to having the power of the internet in their hands, these phones have been presented as the ultimate modern tool. In terms of their relationship with hearing aids, these devices have made use of the fact that they can connect to other mobile devices to great effect. That is why some phone companies have designed their devices so that they can link directly to a hearing aid and interact with it to change its settings. This can take place while the device is still fitted into the individual’s ear, allowing them to have a great deal of control over volume without the need to take their hearing device out in public. It can also be adjusted to meet the pitch and bass needs of the user in the event that the environment calls for such changes.
Smartphones also have many other accessibility usages that are being celebrated by people who use hearing aids. The applications that run on hearing aids have given people a new lease on life as they are now able to use vibrations and incredibly bright lights to notify them of an incoming call. Also, these applications have made it so that individuals with hearing loss can experience live subtitles for movies and television shows, increasing the amount of accessibility that they have.
Handsets- Early Cell Phone History
These leaps and bounds in technology did not appear out of nowhere, however. The first cell phones made use of telecoils so that they could increase the range that the phone could be from the cell tower. An unseen benefit was the fact that the telecoil could make cell calls clearer for people who use hearing aid devices. That is why the vast majority of hearing aids today integrate telecoils into their design, and designates their power on a numerical scale to inform the buyer. These first steps towards technological integration for people who use hearing aids were met with enthusiasm, and has forever changed the hearing aid industry because they now have a dedicated, powerful partner in tech.