Apple and Cochlear originally announced their partnership back in July, and today the first product out of that partnership is available. As detailed in a report from The Australian, Cochlear has released its Made for iPhone Nucleus 7 Sound Processor in Australia and it will soon come to other countries….
The product is designed for users with profound hearing loss, as we explained back in July. Cochlear worked alongside Apple’s accessibility engineering team to design the integration with iPhone. With this partnership, users will be able to listen to music and podcasts, watch video, make calls, and more through the the Nucleus 7 implant.
Nucleus 7 Sound Processor is the world’s first Made for iPhone cochlear implant sound processor and the smallest and lightest behind-the-ear cochlear implant sound processor available on the market.
The Nucleus 7 Sound Processor is a turning point for people with hearing loss, opening the door for them to make phone calls, listen to music in high-quality stereo sound, watch videos and have FaceTime® calls streamed directly to their cochlear implant,” Cochlear CEO Chris Smith said earlier this year.
Sarah Herrlinger, Apple’s director of accessibility, explained that accessibility remains core to Apple’s DNA. Specifically in this case, Apple worked for several years to create the technology necessary to allow for such a hearing accessory. The company’s work wasn’t limited to Cochlear, however, as it’s also available to other hearing aid companies.
“We consider it one of our core corporate values, an area where we put significant amount of time and energy ensuring our products work for everyone.
We started looking at this program around the concept of Bluetooth LE and how it would be a beneficial tool in this specific circumstance. The work we have done is applicable both to hearing aids and sound processors.”
The Nucleus 7 is available today in Australia and will expand around the world over the coming months.
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