To date most attention has been focused on the hardware but now that production transmitters and wearable devices are becoming available, usability should take center stage. This is more complex than it seems because Auracast aims to fulfill numerous use cases. These can be divided into two broad categories, assistive listening and mainstream audio experiences. Each has its own history and set of expectations. Failure to address user needs or streamline access threatens to impede adoption if not create active resistance. This will be true across the board but especially in the assistive listening case.
With Auracast, existing experiences would potentially be updated and new ones added. Each must be looked at separately.
The oldest wireless personal audio system by a wide margin is the hearing aid telecoil, with roots going back to the 1930s when engineer and inventor Joseph Poliakoff filed patents for an induction-based assistive listening system for streaming audio in public facilities, specifically naming theaters, cinemas, and sports arenas. Even with, or perhaps in spite of, the primitive hearing aids of the day, it was recognized that direct streaming provided improved audibility over listening through the hearing aid microphones. The first hearing aid TV streamer was introduced in the 1950s and behind-the-ear hearing aids with telecoils began appearing in the 1970s – all decades before the Bluetooth SIG was even formed.
Not Everyone Owns a Smartphone
According to a recent Pew Research report, 91% of adults in the US own a smartphone. This drops to 79% for those aged 65 or more. Other reports show a similar trend.
Unfortunately for this discussion, none saw the value of further breaking down the 65+ age group. The one available report I could locate is an earlier one by Pew dated 2017, which looks at ages 65 to 80+ in 5-year increments. While the absolute numbers are no longer useful, the trend can still be taken as indicative. It shows smartphone ownership falling steeply after age 70.
That matters because the prevalence of hearing loss increases rapidly once a person reaches about 60 years of age. The number of people needing hearing devices is at its highest in the age groups where smartphone usage is at its lowest. As the US has one of the world’s highest rates of smartphone adoption, the situation will be even worse in many other countries. Requiring one to own a smartphone to access an assistive listening system will have a disproportionately negative impact on those who need it most.
But Wait – What About Multiple Channels?
An argument I have heard for requiring smart device Auracast tuning is that it would be difficult to scroll through and find the correct channel in an environment with multiple streams. It is indeed hard to imagine anyone scanning channels by push button in a 12-screen sports bar. But this is a new audio experience never before offered to the mass-market, whether a person is hearing impaired or not. Setting a baseline tuning method using a smart device doesn’t deny access to someone who previously had a system that worked for them.
The same cannot be said for the kind of single-channel experiences most often relied upon by hearing device users, for example live theaters and houses of worship. To maintain accessibility in these settings for people who don’t own smartphones, it is imperative that Auracast-enabled devices provide push-button tuning in addition to a smartphone app. This will benefit all users, not just the hearing impaired.
The Hearing Device Case Applies to Everyone
Of course, multiple channels must be accounted for. Herein lies the opportunity to improve the user experience for everyone. Imagine a hearing device or TWS earbud in which one presses a switch or taps the left side to enter Auracast mode, and the right side to change channels. This will work with one press in single-channel environments, satisfying many use cases such as houses of worship straight away. In a movie theater with several screens, one’s devices might pick up the transmission from an adjacent auditorium, and therefore more than one button press may be needed.
This would even work in multiple transmitter environments like sports facilities. Simply take your seat, touch to select Auracast mode, and receive the closest broadcast.
Apps Enhance the Experience
Button-based Auracast tuning will provide the fastest, most intuitive baseline access in many cases, though a companion app can provide meaningful enhancements for those with smartphones. At a recent trial during a live concert, I found the best experience to be with my hearing aids in music mode for minimum processing and an equal mix of live and streamed sound. At a sports bar I might want noise reduction features turned on and the mix tilted toward live sound, allowing me to talk with my companions while hearing streaming audio in the background. This will be equally true for earbud wearers as well as hearing device users. Auracast app designers would do well to consider the different environments in which people will operate, what modes they will wish to choose between, and the easiest way to get there.
In a future where one envisions being able to pop in and out of Auracast experiences as one goes about their day, the method of doing so must be as easy as possible. Providing layered access methods beginning with direct on-device selection, backed up with apps designed for multi-channel use and enhanced audio in different environments, and followed by support for QR codes and more, will optimize the user experience and promote Auracast engagement across all scenarios and demographics. aX
This article was originally published in The Audio Voice newsletter, (#495), December 12, 2024.
