Android 10 supports direct streaming to hearing aids
What you need to know
- Google co-developed a new technology called "Audio Streaming for Hearing Aids" (ASHA)
- It's available with the official release of Android 10 for Google Pixel 3 line of phones.
- The streaming spec is open source.
- Allows users to stream music, take calls, and more.
Android 10 keeps bringing new tasty nuggets of features that many didn't see coming, and on September 3, one that was announced was Audio Streaming for Hearing Aids (ASHA) on Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) Connection-Oriented Channels. While it's not the most eloquent of names, the feature could have a wonderfully positive effect. According to Business Wire, Google, GN Hearing, and Cochlear created this new open-source specification to allow direct streaming to hearing aids.
This Android 10 feature is currently only available on Google Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL, Pixel 3a, and Pixel 3a XL, and by utilizing BLE, it allows users of the ReSounds LiNX Quattro and Beltone Amaze hearing aids (as well as the Cochlear Nucleus 7 Sound Processor) to connect to their Android device without draining their phone or hearing aid batteries terribly fast. The newly developed protocol can stream music, take calls, listen to a movie, and much more.
Per Jan Janssen, the CTO of Cochlear:
Jakob Gudbrand, the CEO and President of GN Hearing, also commented on the news:
Since this technology is an open-source project, hopefully, other phone and hearing device manufacturers will take advantage. In the meantime, if you own a Pixel 3 series device and one of the previously mentioned hearing devices, you can take advantage of it after updating your phone to Android 10.
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