Apple's hearing aid feature is no forbidden fruit - Starkey President sees the positives

“Am I worried? No!” says Brandon Sawalich, CEO and President of Starkey, the USA’s biggest hearing aid manufacturer when asked about Apple AirPods now boasting a hearing aid capability. Far from it…the boss of the company that has just released its new EDGE AI hearing aid platform believes the Apple HA feature will help the hearing market.

“The great thing about what Apple is doing is it helps with the stigma. It helps with how people look at hearing aids, and that’s what we need,” Sawalich told Audiology Worldnews during an exclusive interview at the recent EUHA Congress in Hanover, Germany.

“I think what Apple has done is positive for the industry,” he continued. “There’s room for everybody”.

The Starkey supremo’s view is by no means exceptional. There has been no great outcry, no wailing and gnashing of teeth from the industry. If they see a threat, they would not admit to it anyway, but to be fair it was no surprise when Apple announced its new Airpods come with a Hearing Aid capability. For some years before this Hearing Aid capability became official, Apple flirted with hearing features, and voices in the industry did not tremble. In fact, we have heard much the same responses to Apple product with a hearing feature as those that greeted the regulation and launch of OTC hearing aids.

OTC has so far not impacted the major manufacturers. Starkey never followed others into the OTC market. Neither has anyone in conversation with this medium suggested that Apple would not cut the mustard, and the AirPod HA capability has attracted good reviews.

© Apple

Brandon Sawalich, though, wants to put the Airpod in its place. “It’s a feature for a product. You know they have their product, right, and what they’re going to do in the future, who knows?”

Apple, nevertheless, delivers tech that is worshipped by its adherents, a worldwide following to match that of any brand in history, probably surpassing any in loyalty and devotion. Does the Starkey boss not feel that companies could be guilty of complacency? There have been apples in stories that symbolise the downfall of men who do not gird their loins, or at least have them covered.

Watch our short video clip (below) of Brandon Sawalich responding to questions on Apple. He is not worried.