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Hearing aid company strikes deal with Apple
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March 16th, 2014
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Industry excited that the collaboration with the US giant will make having a device trendy
After working in close collaboration with Apple, the Danish hearing-aid company GN ReSound is launching a new hearing aid that’s compatible with the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.
Called LiNX, the device syncs wirelessly with the newest Apple mobile devices and takes advantage of iOS 7’s new accessibility options for the hearing-impaired.
ReSound worked closely with Apple on the development of the hearing aid, and the US giant has been heavily involved in publicising the launch.
Ideal when it’s loud
The LiNX is a combination of a hearing aid and a Bluetooth headphone. Among its special features, it will enable users to focus on just one person’s voice – ideal for loud environments.
“Cell phone calls are something that are very difficult for hearing aids to do,” Laurel Christensen, the chief audiologist at ReSound, told CNN.
“There’s no doubt that what we can do by marrying a phone and a hearing aid will explode.”
Make hearing aids trendy
Many are hopeful that Apple can make wearing a hearing aid trendy. According to studies, only 20 percent of the estimated 36 million people with hearing problems in the US use one.
“Right now, people wait about eight years on average between the time they think they have a hearing problem and when they see someone about it,” Dr Ken Smith, an audiologist, told CNN.
“The association with Apple is going to make a great difference in getting people in the door in the first place.”
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