Phonak honored for ‘Accessibility’ and ‘3D Printing’ with two CES 2019 Innovation Awards

Stäfa (Switzerland)
Phonak honored for ‘Accessibility’ and ‘3D Printing’ with two CES 2019 Innovation Awards

Stäfa, Switzerland, November 9, 2018 – Phonak today announced it has been named a two-time CES® 2019 Innovation Awards Honoree for ‘Accessibility’ with Phonak Audéo Marvel and ‘3D Printing’ with Phonak Virto B-Titanium. The announcement was made during CES Unveiled New York, an invite-only tech event bringing together top media, exhibitors and industry leaders for a sneak peek of the products and trends expected at CES 2019.

Announced last month, Phonak Audéo Marvel is the world’s first and only universal Bluetooth hearing aid to fully support direct stereo audio streaming from Android™ as well as iOS™ phones. This provides direct streaming access to the 86%1 of worldwide smartphone owners who utilize Android. Because Marvel hearing aids utilize Bluetooth® Classic, they connect to Android, iPhone®, and billions of other Bluetooth devices – allowing hearing aid wearers to experience clear, rich sound and stream music, phone calls, video and more to both ears in full stereo.

In addition, Phonak Marvel hearing aids enhance accessibility because they are rechargeable, giving wearers a full day of hearing, including streaming, on a single charge. With Marvel, Phonak introduces of a full suite of smart apps designed to enhance the user experience. This includes allowing wearers to have their hearing aids adjusted remotely in an online session in real-time, removing barriers to distance and potentially leading to better patient outcomes.

The Phonak Virto B-Titanium is the world’s first 3D-printed titanium hearing aid designed and engineered with ultimate discretion in mind. The shell is made of medical grade titanium, making it 15x stronger, 50% thinner, and up to 26% smaller compared to standard acrylic shells. A thinner shell gives 3D modelers more real estate for electrical components and venting. It also enables a deeper placement in the ear canal, resulting in a virtually invisible fit.

“The CES Innovation Awards are a benchmark in consumer innovation and marketplace technology,” said Thomas Lang, Senior Vice President. “Our entire team is honored to have Phonak’s industry-leading hearing aids recognized for excellence in both Accessibility and 3D Printing. These award-winning hearing solutions continue to illustrate Phonak’s boundless commitment to helping people live a life with no limitations.”

Phonak Audéo Marvel and Phonak Virto B-Titanium will be on display in the Innovation Awards Showcase at the upcoming CES 2019.

An annual program that celebrates outstanding design, the CES Innovation Awards recognizes honorees across 28 product categories. A panel of judges, including designers, engineers and members of the tech media, reviews submissions based on design, functionality, consumer appeal, engineering and how the products compare with competition.

For more information, please visit www.phonak.com or www.phonakpro.com

1. Global mobile landscape 2016, eMarketer, November 2016

Contacts for Media Relations:

Global
Florence Camenzind
Phone +41 58 928 33 25
Email florence.camenzind@sonova.com

USA
John Urbaniak
Phone + 1 331 204 27 99
Email   john.urbaniak@sonova.com

Asia/Pacific
Heidi Zhang
Phone +86 1300 1271 545
Mobile +86 1300 1271 545
Email   Heidi.Zhang@sonova.com

About Phonak
Headquartered near Zurich, Switzerland, Phonak, a member of the Sonova Group, was created in 1947 out of a passion for taking on the most difficult hearing challenges. Seventy years later, this passion remains. As the industry’s leading innovator, we offer the broadest portfolio of life-changing hearing solutions. From pediatric to profound hearing loss, we remain committed to creating hearing solutions that change people’s lives to thrive socially and emotionally. We believe in creating a world where ‘Life is on’ for everyone.

At Phonak, we believe that hearing well is essential to living life to the fullest. For almost 70 years, we remain true to our mission by pioneering hearing solutions that change people’s lives to thrive socially and emotionally. Life is on.  

About Sonova
Sonova, headquartered in Stäfa, Switzerland, is a leading provider of innovative hearing care solutions. TheGroup operates through its core business brands Phonak, Unitron, Hansaton, Advanced Bionics and AudioNova.Sonova offers its customers one of the most comprehensive product portfolios in the industry – from hearing instruments to cochlear implants to wireless communication solutions.

Pursuing a unique vertically integrated business strategy, the Group operates through three core businesses – hearing instruments, retail and cochlear implants – along the entire value chain of the hearing care market. The Group’s sales and distribution network, the widest in the industry, comprises over 50 own wholesale companies and more than 100 independent distributors. This is complemented by Sonova’s retail business, which offers professional audiological services through a network of around 3,500 locations in 18 countries. Founded in 1947, the Group has a workforce of over 14,000 dedicated employees and generated sales of CHF 2.65 billion in the financial year 2017/18 as well as a net profit of CHF 407 million. Across all businesses, and by supporting the Hear the World Foundation, Sonova pursues its vision of a world where everyone enjoys the delight of hearing and therefore lives a life without limitations. For more information please visit www.sonova.com and www.hear-the-world.com.

About Microsoft
Microsoft is the leading platform and productivity company with the mission to empower every person and organization on the planet. Microsoft Switzerland GmbH is a subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation (Redmond USA). Since the establishment of the branch in 1989, the company has developed into a typical Swiss SME with 620 employees. Microsoft Switzerland is closely connected with the country’s economic and political institutions and fosters active social dialogue on the topics of innovation, security and education. The partner network comprises 4,600 local business partners and 14,000 certified product and solution specialists nationwide. Microsoft Switzerland GmbH is headquartered in Wallisellen near Zurich. Further offices are located in Wollishofen, Bern and Geneva. www.microsoft.ch