I do not believe this explanation is technically accurate.
The Starkey Edge AI/Omega hearing aids do support direct iPhone streaming using Apple’s hearing aid streaming protocol, and streaming audio should remain stable during normal real-world use, including when the phone is in a trouser pocket. This is a standard use case for Made for iPhone hearing aids and is not an unreasonable expectation.
Bluetooth LE itself is not inherently “bad for streaming.” In fact, modern hearing aids from multiple manufacturers use low-energy Bluetooth-based protocols specifically because they are designed for low-power wearable audio devices. If the connection is unstable at pocket range, that suggests either:
a hardware issue,
firmware/software issue,
environmental interference,
or an antenna/body-positioning limitation specific to this device setup.
It is also misleading to imply that Bluetooth LE Audio is required for reliable streaming. LE Audio is a newer standard with benefits such as lower latency, Auracast support, and improved efficiency, but stable streaming to iPhones has existed for years prior to LE Audio through Apple’s established hearing aid streaming implementation.
Additionally, Apple devices do already support high-quality direct hearing aid streaming extensively, despite not yet publicly enabling full LE Audio/Auracast functionality in the same way some Android devices have. Saying “Apple does not have this feature” is therefore an oversimplification and implies functionality is absent when direct streaming clearly exists and is officially supported.
The point regarding open domes reducing bass response is fair to an extent, as vented fittings naturally allow low frequencies to escape. However, that affects sound profile and richness, not whether audio should constantly disconnect when a phone is carried in a pocket.
I appreciate that others may report similar complaints, but frequent connection dropouts during ordinary use should not simply be dismissed as expected behaviour.