316 - Oticon Zeal Hearing Aids Bring AI Sound Processing to a Compact In-the-Ear Design

At EUHA 2025, Oticon introduced its newest in-the-ear hearing aid, Oticon Zeal, bringing the company’s second-generation AI sound processing and BrainHearing™ technology to a smaller, ready-to-fit form factor. In a discussion at the conference, Anja Nagel L’Harraki, Senior Vice President of Global Marketing at Demant, and Ole Asboe Jørgensen, President, Hearing Instrument Group, described Zeal as offering the same audiological performance as Oticon Intent, but in a more compact design.The Zeal features always-on AI-based sound processing, binaural beamforming, and a refined feedback management system that maintains clarity and comfort even with a single-microphone setup. Asboe noted that by positioning the microphone deeper in the ear canal, the design takes advantage of natural pinna cues while minimizing internal reverberation, allowing performance comparable to dual-microphone models. The device can accommodate fittings for mild to moderate hearing loss, offering both same-day fittings with domes or custom earmolds for a more personalized fit.Connectivity was a key focus of the launch. Zeal supports Google Fast Pair for Android devices, enabling quick pairing directly through native phone controls, and is fully compatible with Auracast™ broadcast audio through the Oticon Companion app. According to the team, users with existing Oticon Intent devices can enable Auracast access through a firmware update.In addition to its compact size, Zeal includes rechargeable power, delivering up to 20 hours of use with four hours of streaming. Initial rollout began in Denmark, the U.K., and Switzerland, with U.S. availability expected in early 2026.**Oticon Zeal press release: https://hearinghealthmatters.org/hearing-technologies/2025/oticon-zeal-hearing-aids-rechargeable-ai/Be sure to subscribe to our channel for the latest episodes each week and follow This Week in Hearing on LinkedIn, Instagram and X.- https://x.com/WeekinHearing- https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinhearing/- https://www.linkedin.com/company/this-week-in-hearingVisit us at: https://hearinghealthmatters.org/thisweek/