This summer, Apple released apps that support iPhone-compatible hearing aids, giving hearing-impaired people better access to their technology. Their Apple Support page also lists the devices that are compatible with made-for-iPhone hearing aids, and it's no surprise that the currently shipping models (iPhone 4S and above) feature support for the technology. The release of the iPhone 6 and Apple's health platform may also herald a new focus for the company. 

The technology isn't new - it's compatible with the 4s, and Apple has been providing support for iPhone-compatible hearing aids since 2013. Several Windows Phones under Nokia's Lumia line also have hearing aid compatibility. But iPhone-compatible hearing aids are taking the spotlight as manufacturer Starkey released its latest made-for-iPhone hearing aid in spring, followed by an update in their iOS app over the summer. 

TruLink Hearing Control App Compatible with Several Made-for-iPhone Hearing Aids 

ZDNet reported that Starkey Laboratories has updated their TruLink Hearing Control app for iOS devices. According to the app page on the iTunes Store, the app is compatible with five of the seven listed compatible hearing aids on Apple's Accesibility page - Starkey, AGX Hearing, Audibel, MicroTech, and NuEar. 

The update that was released this summer fixed minor bugs that the original app had, helping the app run more smoothly together with the user's hearing aid of choice. Some of its main features listed on the iTunes store include enabling communication using the iPhone; audio streaming of any music or data played through the iOS device; controls hearing aid volume using the iPhone; and makes Siri read emails and text through the hearing aid, to name a few. 

Hearing Aid Compatibility to Gain Wide Adoption, Says Forbes Reviewer 

Another thing that helped put iPhone-compatible hearing aids under the spotlight is a feature posted on Forbes about its future, and about one particular made-for-iPhone hearing aid. Anthony Wing Kosner, who has personally been using the new Starkey Halo i110 made for iPhone devices, has shared his experience with it on Forbes. The Halo i110 was released earlier in the Spring, but is taking the spolight because Kosner said his experience "has convinced me that this is a technology that will gain very wide adoption over the coming decade." 

The Halo i110 that Kosner uses features 16 different frequency bands that he says sets this hearing aid from traditional hearing aids. The sound "has a musical quality, occasionally with a noticeable touch of reverb," Kosner says. Aside from serving as a traditional hearing aid and an iPhone-compatible headset, the Halo i110 also serves as an audio receiver for the Live Listen function of TruLink. This feature lets users turn the iPhone into a remote microphone, which is useful for different situations that require the hearing-impaired to stay at a reasonable distance and still hear what is being said. 

Another notable features that Kosner pointed out are the following:

• The Halo i110's compatibility with TruLink's adaptive car mode, which eliminates the need for switching on the hearing aid's car mode manually (as is the case with other iPhone-compatible hearing aids);

• The Voice iQ2 Noise Cancelling System, which (according to Kosner) Starkey claims to be the "the industry's most well evidenced noise reduction algorithm;" and

• MEMS directional microphone technology, same as the one used in the iPhone, along with InVision directionality feature. This sorts out speech amidst background noises, helping users understand better.

The technology isn't perfect - several reviews on the iTunes Store agree with Kosner that the TruLink app needs some work, but Starkey is off to a good start both with the app and with the Halo i110. The technology may not be new to a mobile phone, but through these beginnings, both Apple and Starkey Laboratories have shown what the future of hearing-impairment accessibility on mobile can be and what direction it will be taking in the years to come.