Headphone and speaker company Bose will startselling SoundControl hearing aidsdirectly to customers.
Theyll cost $850 a pair and come with a phone app.
This might sound like an expensive product, but, in fact, the concept is quite radical.
Bose
First, $850 is dirt cheap in terms of hearing aids.
Second, hearing aids must usually be bought via a doctor.
The result is that many users stick with the basics and work around their shortcomings.
Thats fine, in theory, but in practice, just look at AirPods.
They dont pretend to solve hearing impairment, but they pack an incredible amount of tech into tiny packages.
In the ear headphones are not usually compatible with hearing aids.
Regular hearing aids are also dorky as all get-out, whereas AirPods are a must-have accessory.
“Equally, no need to make a talking point of them in bright colors.
Jewelry is such a personal thing, so thats difficult to get right, too.
Much better to mimic wearable tech that people actually covet.
White, black, and silver are always more stylish than sticking-plaster nude.”
And its not just looks.
Basic functionality is missing.
Why cant hearing aids work the same way?
Users can fit and adjust them themselves, although they use standard hearing aid batteries instead of rechargeable ones.
The hearing aids are designed for people with mild to moderate hearing loss.
“These days, people are much more respectful of wearables that enhance your health,” says Thompson.
“Wellness and, crucially, taking control over it, [are] seen as a positive move.
The language around it all is changingits less about disability and more [about] empowering.”
