The Perfect Smartphone for Hearing Aid Wearers

If you have hearing loss, then using a smartphone can be a challenge. Voice calls on smartphones (or any type of voice communication equipment) prevents you from seeing the lips of the person you are talking to, making communication more difficult. Furthermore, the quality of the line can affect the volume of the call, again reducing your ability to interpret and understand incoming sounds. These failures of conventional smartphones raise an interesting question: what would the perfect smartphone look like for hearing aid wearers? In this post, we’re going to detail some of the features that the ideal smartphone would have. Read on to find out more.

Vibration alert

People with moderate, severe, and profound hearing loss can’t always hear the sound of the phone ringing. Phones with vibration features are, therefore, essential. The good news is that most phones have a vibrate option. What’s more, some phones vibrate more than others, providing a physical alert even through thick clothing. You can also program mobile phones to shake in different ways depending on whether it is a call or a text, or even a pattern linked to a particular contact.

SOS button 

Many people with hearing loss also have other health conditions that limit their independence. Thus, you may also require a mobile phone with a so-called SOS or “save our souls” button. The SOS button is just a big button that you can press to call a contact of your choosing in the event of an emergency, whether it’s the emergency services, your caregiver or a relative. Many of the best phones for hearing aid wearers allow you to link several contacts to SOS buttons, giving you more options if you get into trouble.

Enhanced call audio

When it comes to calling audio, many traditional devices are not loud enough for people with hearing loss. Manufacturers design the speaker volume for adults whose hearing is in the normal range. For those with hearing loss, this often means that call volumes are not loud enough. Some smartphones with accessibility options, however, come with enhanced audio features and allow you to manually increase the volume of the speaker above the pre-programmed level. Others include exclusive audio-filtering technology that enhances the quality of the sound above that of regular phones. The best solution is phones that connect via Bluetooth to your assistive hearing device. These handsets allow you to listen to incoming calls directly through your hearing aids, instead of having to rely on the microphone to capture the sound first. Here you avoid pesky feedback issues while at the same time benefitting from the precise calibration of your hearing aids. Some hearing aids come with the “MFi” moniker, which stands for “made for iPhone.” Apple Computers developed this technology to make it easier for hearing aid wearers to connect mobile devices to their handsets and use their hearing aids for calls. Don’t worry; you don’t need an Apple phone to take advantage of MFi. You can also add the feature to an Android device too.

Speech-to-text features

Some mobile phones now come with speech-to-text features that allow you to read what the person on the other end of the line is saying. Called “captioned phones” in the past, this technology has now moved from landline to mobile. It is perfect for hearing aid wearers because it lets you hold your phone in your hands while listening to the caller’s voice piped through your hearing aids.

Telecoils

The perfect mobile phone would not be complete without the humble telecoil, a special receiver in the phone that relays digital sound information from the phone to your hearing aid. The main benefit of telecoils is the same as that of Bluetooth. A telecoil enables you to bypass the microphone on your assistive hearing device, providing you with crisp, clear sound, free from any feedback or interference. When selecting a mobile phone with a telecoil, look for something called the “T” rating. T ratings vary from one to four, depending on the quality of the telecoil, with the best being T4. Many mobile phone manufacturers who make phones specifically for people who are hard of hearing will often advertise the fact that their phones are “T4” compliant. Choosing the perfect smartphone for hearing aid wearers can be a challenge. There are many features to consider, some of which can improve your quality of life enormously but that you may not have considered before. If you would like to learn more about which smartphone will work best with your hearing aids, then call Audiology and Hearing Aid Services at 912-351-3038 to talk to one of our helpful team members.