We’ll take you on a tour through the cutting-edge Best Bluetooth hearing aids of 2023 made for both Android and iOS users in this post. These cutting-edge gadgets provide better hearing experiences as well as seamless connectivity, ensuring you never miss a beat. We’ll look at their characteristics, advantages, and how they can change the way you interact with the world around you. Let’s plunge in together and hear the future!
Bluetooth hearing devices have introduced those with hearing loss to a whole new world of sounds. Hearing aids used to merely let you hear regular conversations; now, they may also serve as powerful wearables and communication devices capable of streaming audio, making phone calls, and even accessing digital assistants like Siri or managing your smart home.
It’s now feasible to make phone conversations without touching your phone to your ear, and if you wear two hearing aids, you can hear the discussion in both ears. You may also use your phone to stream multimedia audio, such as video chats and popular applications like Spotify and Netflix. There are a plethora of additional potential uses, ranging from doorbell warnings and remote microphone attachments to a newly developed sort of Bluetooth technology that could soon transmit audio into your devices in areas such as lecture halls and airports.
“Made-For-iPhone” (MFi) hearing aids
GN ReSound originally unveiled “Made-for-iPhone” (MFi) hearing aids in 2015, ushering in an altogether new age of connection. MFi hearing aids allow you to stream audio straight from your iPhone or iPad, eliminating the need for a wireless streamer. MFi-compatible hearing aids are currently available from all major manufacturers.
One disadvantage of the MFi protocol in the past was that it did not provide two-way communication. That is, although the linked device might provide data to your hearing aids, the hearing aids could not communicate data back to the device. It was just one way. This meant no hands-free calling for hearing aid users since the hearing aid microphones couldn’t pick up the sound of your voice and relay it back to the phone.
However, with the recent release of Bluetooth version 5.2, two-way communication inside the MFi protocol is now possible. However, keep in mind that not all hearing aid manufacturers have implemented Bluetooth 5.2, thus hands-free calling isn’t available with every MFi hearing aid.
In addition, Apple said in May 2023 that MFi hearing aids will soon be able to link directly with “select Mac devices” that utilize the M1 chip and all devices that have the M2 chip. Previously, the only devices that could link directly with MFi hearing aids without the use of workarounds or accessories were iPhones, iPod Touches, and iPad tablets. This feature is expected to be available in the autumn of 2023.
Android compatible hearing aids
In 2018, Google officially unveiled Audio Streaming for Hearing Aids (ASHA), a new Android streaming standard for hearing aids. Google announced their plan to connect hearing aids with the much broader world of Android phones.
By 2023, all major hearing aid manufacturers—Phonak, Starkey, Oticon, Signia, ReSound, and Widex—have Android compatible hearing aids on the market.
There is one restriction to ASHA-based Android compatibility: it will not be really hands-free. You must still speak into the phone in order for the caller to hear your voice. To utilize hands-free calling with Android, you’ll need to get a Bluetooth streamer or look into hearing aids that support the Bluetooth Classic Hands-Free Protocol (HFP), such as the Phonak Lumity.
While Made-for-iPhone is supported by all contemporary iOS devices, Android ASHA is only supported by a few Android phones. In general, any phone with Bluetooth 5.0+ and Android 10 (or higher) may provide ASHA wireless streaming. However, ASHA must be enabled by each phone maker and service provider, so it’s worth checking with your carrier to see if your specific Android model supports ASHA connectivity (Samsung, Google Pixel, and OnePlus are the best). MFi is supported by the majority of ASHA compliant aids.
Universal Bluetooth streaming
Only Sonova, the world’s leading maker of hearing aids, provides real, hands-free worldwide Bluetooth connection. In addition to iPhone and Android compatibility, Phonak and Unitron (both owned by Sonova) provide devices that allow wireless audio streaming from any Bluetooth-enabled device. This is performed using the A2DP and HFP protocols of Bluetooth Classic, which are used for audio streaming and hands-free telephony, respectively.
Sonova’s technology is dubbed “Made For All” or MFA, a play on the phrase “Made For iPhone” by Apple. The newest Sonova devices that include MFA technology are the Phonak Lumity, Paradise, and Unitron Vivante and Blu, and versions from both product lines enable two simultaneous Bluetooth connections. Costco’s now-discontinued Kirkland Signature 10.0 hearing aid, likewise made by Sonova, had ubiquitous Bluetooth.
Shopping for Bluetooth hearing aids
Choosing a Bluetooth hearing aid might be perplexing. Hearing aids that are Bluetooth and smartphone compatible available in a plethora of distinct flavours. Knowing the fundamentals of MFi, ASHA, and Sonova’s MFA can be beneficial.
Because connection is a much desired function in hearing aids, this technology is rapidly developing. The bottom line is that before acquiring any devices, you should consult with your hearing provider about the wireless connectivity features that are crucial to you.
A word of caution: While some hearing aid manufacturers tout “Bluetooth compatibility,” they require an intermediary streamer to receive and retransmit Bluetooth audio from all Bluetooth devices to their hearing aids. These streamers are discussed further below.
The latest hearing aid streamers make Bluetooth easy
If your hearing aids do not link to your smartphone (or other Bluetooth audio device) natively, you will most likely require a “streamer” from the same company that made your hearing aids. Streamers are normally acquired as an add-on to hearing aids, but the good news is that today’s Bluetooth streamers offer a reasonably simple workaround for attaining universal Bluetooth communication with your hearing aids.
A streamer is a gadget that hangs around your neck or hooks to your garment to receive audio from Bluetooth-enabled phones, MP3 players, PCs, tablets, and other electronic devices. After picking up the music from your favourite Bluetooth-enabled audio device, the streamer re-transmits it to the hearing aids, often through a proprietary 2.4GHz radio signal.
Hearing aid manufacturers have begun to provide Bluetooth streaming accessories that are smaller, more feature-rich, and simpler to use. They provide Bluetooth connectivity with all Bluetooth-enabled devices. Their linked applications are compatible with both iPhones and Android handsets.
The best Bluetooth hearing aid models
The following are Bluetooth solutions from the leading hearing aid manufacturers. We don’t simply look at the devices from Phonak, Unitron, and Costco that have universal Bluetooth connection. MFi and ASHA-enabled hearing aids are also available. In addition, we offer a reference to the streaming accessories used by the main companies to make their hearing aids Bluetooth-compatible. The chart below only contains the most recent models that incorporate MFi or ASHA.
| Model | iPhone Streaming | Android Streaming | Hands-Free |
| Oticon Real | MFi | ASHA | MFi or ConnectClip |
| Oticon Own | MFi | ASHA | MFi or ConnectClip |
| Oticon More | MFi | ASHA | MFi or ConnectClip |
| Oticon Zircon | MFi | ASHA | MFi or ConnectClip |
| Oticon Play PX | MFi | ASHA | MFi or ConnectClip |
| Oticon Xceed | MFi | – | ConnectClip |
| Philips HearLink 9040 (Costco) | MFi | ASHA | MFi or Audio Clip |
| Earlens Earlens Hearing System | MFi | – | – |
| Beltone Achieve | MFi | ASHA | MFi or Phone Link 2 |
| ReSound Omnia | MFi | ASHA | MFi or Phone Clip+ |
| Phonak Audeo Lumity | BT Classic (A2DP) | BT Classic (A2DP) | BT Classic (HFP) or accessory |
| Phonak Audeo P | BT Classic (A2DP) | BT Classic (A2DP) | BT Classic (HFP) or accessory |
| Phonak Naida P | BT Classic (A2DP) | BT Classic (A2DP) | BT Classic (HFP) or accessory |
| Starkey Genesis AI | MFi | ASHA | MFi or Remote Microphone+ |
| Starkey Evolv AI | MFi | ASHA | MFi or Remote Microphone+ |
| Signia Insio Charge&Go AX | MFi | ASHA | Mfi or StreamLine Mic |
| Signia Pure Charge&Go AX | MFi | ASHA | Mfi or StreamLine Mic |
| Unitron Moxi Vivante | BT Classic (A2DP) | BT Classic (A2DP) | BT Classic (HFP) or accessory |
| Widex Moment | MFi | ASHA | COM-DEX or SoundAssist |
*Please keep in mind that the following is not a “ranking” of the finest Bluetooth hearing aids. Rather, we share information about the Bluetooth solutions offered by each of the main hearing aid manufacturers. The brands we’ve mentioned account for more than 80% of premium hearing aids sold worldwide.
Phonak Bluetooth hearing aids
The Audéo Marvel from Phonak is the gold standard in Bluetooth hearing aid communication. Marvel, which debuted in November 2019, was the first to broadcast music and other sounds in stereo to and from any Bluetooth-enabled device. In 2020, Phonak released Paradise, which offered the capacity to link up to eight Bluetooth devices at once, two of which can be active at the same time.
In August 2022, Phonak introduced the new Audéo Lumity, their third generation of Bluetooth-compatible hearing aids, which offers the same ubiquitous Bluetooth connectivity as well as improved voice clarity in background noise. It is one of the most flexible Bluetooth streaming aids, with two active Bluetooth connections and the ability to pair with up to eight different devices. Phonak brought the Slim Lumity Bluetooth hearing aid to the portfolio in April 2023, with a sleek and innovative design to fulfil the style and comfort demands of modern hearing aid wearers.
Lumity, like its predecessors Marvel and Paradise, has Tap Control (in 90 and 70 technology levels) for accepting/ending phone calls, pausing/resuming streaming, and accessing voice assistants such as Apple’s Siri®.
Phonak offers a variety of wireless peripherals, such as streamers, remote microphones, and a TV audio transmitter (which also works with Marvel). For individuals who require extra aid hearing in background noise, we also recommend reading more about Roger, Phonak’s suite of wireless remote microphones.
Unitron Bluetooth hearing aids
Unitron, a Sonova group sibling business of Phonak, provides ubiquitous Bluetooth connection in a variety of product families, including the recently introduced Vivante, Blu, Discover Next, and Tempus. The Moxi Blu is powered by the Sonova PRISM (Processing Real-Time Intelligent Sound Management) processor and the Integra OS signal processing technology from Unitron. It has two active Bluetooth connections, can attach up to eight different devices, and has the same tap controls as the Phonak Lumity and Paradise. Unitron debuted its Moxi Vivante V-R and VR-T rechargeable RIC versions with Bluetooth features for Apple and Android in April 2023.
Costco Bluetooth hearing aids
Costco provides hearing center’s that offer hearing exams, professional services, and inexpensive costs, with current prices starting at $1,599 for a pair.
Costco does not make its own hearing aids, but rather resells items and technologies from leading manufacturers. Costco has hearing aids from Jabra, Philips, and Rexton, with versions from each allowing Bluetooth connectivity for smartphone control applications and audio streaming for Android phones and iPhones. Costco also sells Bluetooth-enabled accessories for each brand, such as remote control devices, TV audio streamers, and remote microphones.
Costco began selling its first over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aid, Lexie B2, in April 2023. Although powered by Bose, this hearing aid does not support Bluetooth audio streaming.
ReSound Bluetooth hearing aids
GN ReSound was the first firm to provide Made-for-iPhone hearing aids, and it has also been a pioneer in direct Android streaming. They now have OMNIA, One, Key, LiNX Quattro, and ENZO Q hearing aids that are Apple and Android compatible. The new Audio Streaming for Hearing Aid (ASHA) protocol is used for streaming from Android.
ReSound also provides a selection of Bluetooth accessories to link its hearing aids with high-quality audio. The ReSound Phone Clip+ uses Bluetooth to broadcast calls or audio from your phone. ReSound Mics may be used to pick up voices and transmit them to your hearing aids by placing them on a podium, a speaker’s lapel, or a conference table. And the ReSound Bluetooth TV streamer linked to the back of your TV sends sounds straight to your hearing aids, bypassing the streamer. Furthermore, the ReSound Remote Control 2 makes it simple to change programmes and switch between streaming accessories.
Oticon Bluetooth hearing aids
Oticon Real is the next flagship hearing aid line announced by Danish hearing aid maker Oticon in February 2023, which utilizes the new Polaris R chip architecture. Real shares several characteristics with its predecessor, Oticon More, and its Polaris platform, such as Bluetooth audio streaming, access to Oticon’s deep neural network (DNN) technology, and water resistance. However, Real has a new wind and handling Stabiliser, as well as an abrupt Sound Stabiliser, which detects soft, strong, and abrupt noises and controls them so they’re heard but not too loud or obtrusive. Oticon Real, like More, is compatible with both Apple and Android ASHA for wireless streaming and supports iPhone hands-free calling. The business has also made both Real and More LE Audio future-proof, which means that if and when Auracast becomes widely accessible, these hearing aids should be able to tune into it!
Oticon’s ConnectClip streamer provides a solution for individuals who need to connect to other Bluetooth devices or need hands-free calling for Android handsets. Oticon provides a TV Adapter that uses conventional wires to connect to most TVs and other audio devices. Stereo sound may be sent straight into your hearing aids at a distance of up to 45 feet with the TV Adapter. The Oticon ON app is intended to make managing Bluetooth connections simple.
Oticon Opn S hearing aids are the previous version of MFi hearing aids launched by Oticon in 2019. OpnS hearing aids, like most others from Oticon, offer Bluetooth communication with high sound quality via a number of streamers.
Starkey Bluetooth hearing aids
Starkey Hearing Technologies was the second company to release a hearing aid that was Made-for-iPhone (MFi). The American company soon expanded its line of Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids to incorporate iOS and Android compatibility. The Genesis AI, which was released in February 2023, supports iOS and Android audio streaming, hands-free calling for iOS, wireless control with the My Starkey app (except for the IIC and CIC models), and hands-free 2-way audio for compatible iOS devices when using FaceTime, Zoom, Teams, and so on. The hearing aids’ wireless range has been increased by up to 40% thanks to the use of a new antenna. The new My Starkey app gives you access to the hearing aid as well as the “healthable” capabilities included in both Genesis AI and its predecessor, Starkey Evolv AI.
Evolve AI, which was announced in August 2021, effectively includes all of Genesis AI’s Bluetooth capabilities and “healthable” features, but it uses the older Thrive app and lacks the newer and more powerful chip and sound processing capabilities.
Starkey, a leader in bespoke in-ear devices, provides the really unusual and compact Starkey Evolv AI Completely-in-Canal (CIC) hearing aid, which is the first full-featured CIC with audio streaming (for more information, check Matthew Allsop’s YouTube video). Livio Edge AI is another Starkey Bluetooth-compatible hearing aid.
Starkey’s streaming accessories allow Bluetooth connections for legacy goods or when non-compatible devices are required. Hands-free phone calls from iPhones and Android devices, as well as audio streaming from numerous Bluetooth sources, are available with the Starkey SurfLink streaming accessories. Remote microphones are also included. Furthermore, the Starkey TV attachment accepts analogue and digital input sources, allowing you to stream sounds from your TV or other audio source directly to your Evolv or Livio hearing aids.
Widex Bluetooth hearing aids
MOMENT WIDEX Hearing aids designed for the iPhone provide wireless communication with both iOS and Android smartphones. According to Widex, its signal processing chip set has separate channel separation and minimal-delay filters to provide pristine sound even when streaming. The Widex MOMENT app allows you to configure and manage Bluetooth connections.
Widex’s streaming accessories provide Bluetooth connectivity for non-smartphone devices. The COM-DEX streamer is worn around the neck and transmits high-quality audio from any Bluetooth device to your hearing aid. It has a broadcasting duration of up to 8 hours and an optional remote mic. SoundAssist, FM+DEX, TV PLAY, and TV-DEX are some more Bluetooth accessories for phones, TVs, and other Bluetooth devices. The COM-DEX iPhone and Android smartphone apps aid with Bluetooth connection management.
The Moment Sheer (sRIC R D) was announced in September 2022 with a redesigned housing design that is supposed to be discrete and contemporary.
Signia Bluetooth hearing aids
Signia’s Styletto, initially unveiled in 2018, was the world’s first SLIM-RIC hearing aid, with a slim and attractive appearance that makes it look more like a high-tech communication gadget than a hearing aid. Styletto AXE, the updated version, is a full-featured gadget on Signia’s Augmented Xperience (AXE) platform that connects to Android or iOS (Apple) devices to stream phone calls, music, and TV audio to your hearing aids. It also contains the “healthy” My WellBeing (step counting and activity tracker) and CallControl for overall wellbeing and improved functioning in a variety of areas.
Signia Pure Charge&Go AXE hearing aids also provide direct wireless communication with iOS and Android smartphones. The Insio Charge&Go AXE ITEs provide direct audio streaming from iOS devices that support the MFi hearing aid standard, as well as select Android smartphones that support the newer ASHA standard.
Signia Insio AXE and Pure AXE hearing aids support direct Android streaming through the ASHA protocol, as well as iPhone hands-free calling.
The previous Xperience (X) platform also supports direct communication, but only with iOS devices that are compatible. These and other Signia hearing aids use Signia’s StreamLine Mic and StreamLine TV attachments to stream wireless audio from Android phones and other Bluetooth devices, including TVs. If you wish to connect your hearing aids straight to an Android phone that does not support ASHA (or other generic Bluetooth devices), you will also need a StreamLine Mic. Bluetooth apps for iPhones and Android devices are managed through the Signia myControl remote control software.
Bluetooth hearing aid costs
Premium Bluetooth hearing aids are not cheap. A pair of hearing aids can cost anywhere from $1,399 (at Costco) to $6,000 (or more).
Streaming accessories are additional, and costs vary from clinic to clinic; however, these equipment are becoming less and less necessary to establish wireless Bluetooth communication. When necessary, however, a clip-on streamer may easily add $500 to the cost of hearing aids. Depending on their capabilities, TV streamers and remote microphones might cost considerably more. Some local suppliers do provide hearing aid discounts through our programme.
Alternative Bluetooth-enabled hearables and PSAPs
Bluetooth capability is offered in a number of direct-to-consumer hearing aids accessible online. Furthermore, with the new FDA regulation on over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids, we may expect to see a significant increase in the number of devices available through shops and online dealers.
There’s also a plethora of Bluetooth-enabled earpieces, hearables, and PSAPs (personal sound amplification devices) to discover. Many of them incorporate cutting-edge hearing aid technology. They are frequently less costly than Bluetooth hearing aids. Two excellent examples are Sennheiser’s Conversation Clear Plus and Apple’s AirPods Pro 2.
OTC hearing aids with Bluetooth streaming
There is a lot of misunderstanding about over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids, and OneHearingAIds has recently issued an updated list of FDA-registered OTC hearing aids. In a later post, we’ve selected what we believe to be the Top-10 finest over-the-counter hearing aids, four of which include Bluetooth streaming:
Jabra Enhance Plus
The Jabra Enhance Plus is a medical-grade self-fitting OTC hearing aid manufactured by GN Hearing, a large worldwide hearing aid company that also manufactures ReSound and Beltone hearing aids. The Jabra hearing aids, which cost $799 per pair, appear like current wireless earbuds but offer functions more commonly associated with traditional hearing aids, such as Bluetooth streaming audio and hands-free calling (iPhones only).
HP Hearing PRO
The HP Hearing PRO is a self-fitting over-the-counter hearing aid marketed by Hewlett-Packard and developed and manufactured by Nuheara, an Australian audio equipment manufacturer. The HP Hearing PRO, which costs $699 a pair, is quite similar to one of OneHearingAIds favorite hearables, the Nuheara IQbuds2 MAX—a smart, rechargeable, Apple and Android compatible earbud that comes with a superb self-fitting app.
Lucid Engage Rechargeable
Lucid is the manufacturer of Liberty hearing aids for Sam’s Club and the owner of Etymotic Research, which makes high-quality earplugs and headphones. Lucid Engage Rechargeable—which is essentially the same as the premium Liberty aid—is a self-fit Receiver-In-canal (RIC) hearing aid that offers Bluetooth streaming and app-based controls. The OTC hearing aids go for $1000 per pair.
Sound World Solutions HD75R
Sound World Solutions, established in Chicago, began by providing high-quality personal sound amplification products (PSAPs) that were utilized in a number of trials, finally establishing that self-fitting devices may benefit persons with hearing loss. The HD75R OTC Behind-the-Ear (BTE) self-fitting hearing aid is rechargeable and can stream music and phone calls straight to ASHA Android compatible devices, but it is not “hands-free” (i.e., you may hear conversation via hearing aids, but the caller must talk into the phone for you to be heard). They are available for $500 a pair.
Bluetooth LE Audio: The future of Bluetooth hearing aids
Bluetooth 5.2, a new Bluetooth protocol, will enable higher-quality music with reduced latency (delay) in wireless streaming, as well as multichannel communication with numerous Bluetooth products. All of this will be possible thanks to Bluetooth LE Audio, the “next generation of Bluetooth audio” that will be accessible with Bluetooth 5.2.
Auracast to Make Bluetooth More Versatile and Accessible
The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) announced the launching of its new AuracastTM broadcast audio technology, which employs LE Audio, in June 2022. Auracast is intended to connect Bluetooth hearing equipment (such as hearing aids, implants, and earbuds) to a public address system or other Auracast-enabled transmitter via your Bluetooth-enabled smartphone, tablet, or computer. As an example, if you’re at a lecture or a play, an Auracast transmitter may alert your smartphone that streaming audio is available. Then you’d use your phone’s Auracast Assistant to discover and choose that sound stream, which would then be associated with your Bluetooth hearing equipment.
Although Auracast is a fresh new technology that will take some time to become widely adopted and used, it promises to broaden Bluetooth’s utility to a far broader range of places and scenarios, such as airports, ticket booths, tours, personal song/audio sharing, and more.
The bottom line
While we at OneHearingAid like Bluetooth technology, it is simply one of many factors to consider when selecting hearing aids. Remember that hearing aids must first and foremost operate as hearing aids, and a local hearing health specialist may advise you on which hearing aid solutions may be right for you (given your specific hearing needs).
3 thoughts on “Hear the Future: Unveiling the Best Bluetooth Hearing Aids of 2023 for Android and iOS!”