Updated Widex has released a new generation of its Allure hearing aids, complete with Bluetooth LE Audio – but it needs a phone with a built-in Auracast Assistant to access an Auracast stream.
The Widex Allure AI RIC introduces a wealth of new features that aim to help people hear better in noisy environments. The company says the aid’s dedicated AI co-processor, called Clarity Boost, is activated by the user when they want additional support.
Its clinical studies show that the Widex Allure AI RIC performs as well as or better than leading AI-based competitors for speech intelligibility in realistic conditions, delivering up to 26% better speech intelligibility for moderate-to-severe hearing loss, while 95% of wearers report improved speech in noise and 97% describe the sound as natural and clear.
Its battery life is up to 32 hours, including around six hours of AI or streaming.
Ngozi Amobi, Head of Widex, said this: “Resolves one of the most persistent challenges in hearing care – improving speech in noise without disrupting the natural sound quality that patients demand. We’ve taken a different approach, preserving natural sound as the foundation and introducing AI processing only when it adds value.”
The connectivity includes Made For iPhone, ASHA for Android phones, a Telecoil, and Bluetooth LE Audio. However, Widex has not specified Auracast in its publicity material.
This Week In Hearing podcast, which can be viewed above, asked the Widex team about its plans for Auracast, especially as the Allure AI RIC has Bluetooth LE Audio. The devices are Auracast Ready, which means it needs an update to be Auracast Enabled.
But Widex has a halfway house. If your phone has an Auracast Assistant app built in to it, such as the S26, or a Pixel 10, then it is possible to receive and stream an Auracast to the hearing aids. It is not currently possible to connect via the Widex app. This is a similar situation to Starkey when it launched the Edge AI, but has since been corrected.
The launch of Auracast in the Widex Allure range means four of the big five hearing aid companies are now offering Auracast in their hearing aids.
We are grateful that the This Week In Hearing team tackled the Auracast question with Widex, as the marketing information does not make this clear. Users would be buying the hearing aid not knowing it was Auracast capable, and this is disappointing.
However, as the podcast sets out, Widex is working on bringing an Auracast Assistant to its app, and this will be the missing step.
As with televisions, it is disappointing that the labelling isn’t clear and that means users have to do additional research to find out if their potential purchase is taking a step into the future. That said, Widex should be praised for ensuring the Allure AI RIC has both Auracast and a Telecoil as this ensures the widest possible assistive listening experience over the next few years.
For more details, log on to: https://www.widexpro.com/en/products/allure/ai-ric-r-d/
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