Widex—a Denmark-based hearing aid manufacturer—announced the launch of BEYOND Z —a rechargeable solution for the BEYONDTM range of hearing aids, created in collaboration with ZPower, a Camarillo, Calif-based manufacturer of rechargeable silver zinc batteries. According to Widex, BEYOND Z lets users stream “better and longer” and also includes a retrofit option for existing BEYOND users.

Widex Beyond Z

Widex Beyond Z

“Since launching BEYOND in November 2016, our global sales have grown very nicely,” said Widex CEO Jørgen Jensen. “The combination of superior sound quality and effortless smartphone integration in BEYOND is proving to be a popular solution for hearing-aid users.”

Current BEYOND users will be able to get BEYOND Z by having their current BEYOND hearing aids retrofitted for a fee.

Until recently, rechargeable hearing aids were limited to using nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries that can deliver less than a full day of power, according to Widex. ZPower has created a silver-zinc rechargeable battery technology that, when combined with Widex hearing aids’ low power consumption, can deliver a full day of power on a single charge, said Widex.

“Right now, the market is also offering rechargeable hearing aids,” said Jensen. “So, building on the success of BEYOND, the introduction of a rechargeable option was a natural next step.”

The first shipments will begin in Q4 2017 in the United States and Canada, and the rest of the markets from Q1 2018.

Source: Widex, ZPower

Image: Widex