Status of Smartphone app for Phonak Audeo P90 CROS hearing aids?

[MariettaJoker]

I just had AN surgery on 11/30/21 and I lost hearing in my right ear actually a few months prior to surgery. I opted to be fitted for the Phonak Audeo P90 CROS hearing aid system. This is the system that broadcasts sound from your deaf ear over to your good ear so you can "hear" out of both sides of your head. As a side note, I've been very pleased with this set up and I would recommend these hearing aids to others that have single sided hearing loss.

My question is when will they launch a Smartphone app for this device? Phonak has a Smartphone app for their normal hearing aids, but the CROS system is excluded and there is no info on their site about timing of launch of an app. My Audiologist told me that she heard in would be in January 2022. I'm just wondering if anyone here might have any insights?

The app is very cool because it let's you make volume changes and other changes on the fly.

Thanks for any insights anyone may have and if you are considering these hearing aids, I recommend!

[donjehle]

Hi MariettaJoker,

Well, we are past January and into February.  Have you heard anymore about the Smartphone app being launched for your CROS system?

Even though my ENT doctor assures me that there is not sufficient evidence that the Bluetooth technology used to communicate between the hearing aids and the smartphones causes any brain problems, I am still a little hesitant to connect my smartphone to anything around my brain, even earpods.  So, maybe it's a good thing if they have not released a smartphone app for your hearing aid yet.  But then again, I am probably overreacting. I get anxious when no one knows the cause of my AN, and then I can imagine all kinds of possibilities.

Let us know what you find out about the release of the app!
Don

[MariettaJoker]

Don,

I just checked today and still no update from Phonak on the CROS iPhone app. I’ll keep checking and advise the group when I see it pop up.

[donjehle]

Thank you, MariettaJoker, for doing that!

[donjehle]

I spoke with my audiologist in Cartersville, Ga., yesterday, and she is advising me to get the Oticon CROS system because she feels it is the best one for me with my particular issues.  The Phonak Audeo P90 seems to be much more popular, at least judging by what I can see of YouTube videos (which is a poor way to judge popularity, I know).  But as popular as the Phonak CROS system is, you would think that they would have updated the phone app by now!

I won't be fitted for the Oticon CROS system until March 15 so I won't be able to comment on it until after that date.  I am looking forward to not missing words spoken to me on my bad ear side.

[MariettaJoker]

I checked with Phonak support this week on the status of the smartphone app for the CROS hearing aids, this was their response....

Phonak does still plan to release an app for the latest CROS system in 2022.  At the moment, we do not have a confirm date of when that app will be release. We apologize for the wait if it has been an issue. 

[caryng]

I also am single-sided hearing after having translab in 2016. I've been using Phonak CROS since 2019. At the time I did not have a smartphone and would not be able to control the features unless I wore a pendant around my neck. Now I feel I need new hearing aids and I'm ready to step up to the more advanced ones that enable me to make adjustments as I understand the technology has changed and I now have an iphone SE. I'm trying to decide on Phonak or Oticon. i'm interested in knowing if anyone has an incite of one over the other.  And after reading what MariettaJoker posted, I hesitate to buy Phonak if they don't have their app available for Phonak.

[donjehle]

Hi caryng!

Thank you for making your first post on the forums!

I have been using my Oticon CROS system for a while now.  The phone app works fine, and I have not had any issues with mine.  I have an Android phone.

With that said, I don't use my phone app a lot.  The settings my audiologist set for me seem to work most of the time.  It's easier for me to press the little button on my Oticon for which program I need at the moment than it is to pull out my phone, put in the password, pull up the Oticon app, and then make the adjustments there.  So, in my opinion, I probably would not make a decision on which CROS system to purchase based solely on having a phone app available.

To me, the most important factor is finding a good audiologist who can recommend what CROS system he/she thinks would work best for you and then adjust it according to your specific needs.

Finding a good audiologist is a challenge, and I have moved recently and need to find a new one for my checkup. 

One of the things I appreciated about my former audiologist is that while she used a Phonak for her own hearing issues and had Phonak advertising and displays in her office, she told me she recommended Oticon for my own specific needs.  I did not feel that she was trying to 'push' the brand she used herself nor the brand she sold the most hearing aids.  I felt like she did try to take my needs into consideration.  An audiologist you can trust is worth their weight in gold.  And that, to me, is what is really important.  I actually chose that audiologist because I had done a lot of reading on the different CROS systems, and I was going to go with a different brand (not Oticon nor Phonak), and her office carried the brand I wanted.  That's why I went to her (whereas some of the other audiologists nearby did not carry that brand).  But after speaking to her, she explained why she felt the Oticon was a better choice for my particular situation.  And it made sense, so I went with her recommendation.

So, I am not going to recommend an Oticon to you caryng because that's what I use.  Instead, I want you to have whatever works best for you.

Best wishes!
Don

[Susan A]

December 2022 and I wish I had read this thread before going to my audiologist about a new CROS 😂
I’ve had a Phonak CROS for over 10 years and decided it was finally time for an upgrade. I got the P90 with CROS and have very mixed feelings about it so far.
It does work well for me in crowded, noisy, situations. However, in quiet settings there is a constant quiet background buzz. My hair and moving my reading glasses on and off my head are ridiculously loud, as is the sound of my chewing. Half the time when I take them  out of the charger, they do not automatically start up, and last night the light refused to come on when I put the CROS in the charger, though it did seem to charge. Phonak confirmed that they still haven’t made the app work with the CROS, so I can’t see the settings it’s using or the status of the battery.
I have a follow up appointment on January 3, and I think I will be asking if I can try the Oticon CROS instead.

[MariettaJoker]

I’m a bit late posting this update, but Phonak has released the update that allows the user to control the hearing aids via the Smartphone app. Finally!! I’ve had my Phonak CROS system since 2022 and I’ve had a very good experience with them. My only minor complaint is the rechargeable batteries will not last a full day if you start them up early (8:00am). I get about 10 hours on the charge, so I have to top them off late in the day if I want them to last until 10 or 11pm.

[jaynereiter]

I started with Phonak Biocros however the battery life is 10 -12 hours depending how much you use Bluetooth, so that wont work for me, I need 16+ hours.  I am now with Starkey GensisAI 20 and very happy.