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I wonder how companies go about retiring these sound processors on the technical level. Are those in need of continuous updates to keep working? Do they receive
by LemonLeaf 3y ago
I wonder how companies go about retiring these sound processors on the technical level. Are those in need of continuous updates to keep working? Do they receive a final update one day which bricks them? Since the consequences seem so heartbreaking I would imagine that unofficial ways of prolonging the life time of this hardware do exist?
- pkaye 3y agoProbably it will still work but no replacements parts for repair at some point. I know regular hearing aids can be quite moisture sensitive (though new ones are getting much better) so I don't know if these sound processors are the same.
- Izmaki 3y agoThe firmware on most modern hearing aid devices can be easily updated. These updates may include updates for the sound processing as well, indeed. However, you can't easily "replace the chip" like you can just swap out an old SSD drive with a new, faster model. To the best of my knowledge (first hand experience from the industry), they receive a final update one day and will then only be updated in extreme situations, like, say, imagine you plug in your devices one day and suddenly get a max volume high pitched feedback screech in your ears (this should never happen, ever, mind you). But I'm only guessing here. However, just like my old trusty iPod Touch 1st Generation, they are due an upgrade eventually if you want to use the latest features (my iPod still works, it's just not very fancy anymore...).