Short answer: In most cases, no. There is a persistent misunderstanding that you absolutely need a brand new smartphone with Auracast support to use Auracast with your hearing aid. In fact, that is often not necessary at all. The reason lies in how the tasks are clearly distributed in Auracast. The smartphone plays a smaller role than most think.

So who does what in Auracast?

In Auracast, there are three roles. It helps to briefly distinguish them: The Transmitter (Sender): sends the audio stream out, for example, a system in a church, an event hall, or at the airport. The Receiver (Empfänger): the device that actually plays the sound: in this case, your hearing aid. It can also be earbuds or headphones.The Assistant (Assistent): the instance that helps to find and select the appropriate stream.
The crucial point is: The sound flows directly from the transmitter to the hearing aid. It does not take the detour through the smartphone. The smartphone is – if it is involved at all – just the remote control for selection. Once the stream is chosen, you could even turn off the phone, and the sound in the hearing aid continues.

The assistant is often already in the hearing aid.

And this is exactly where the point comes that eases the smartphone question: Many modern hearing aids already come with the assistant function. The hearing aid itself searches for available Auracast transmissions in the vicinity and reports to the manufacturer app which streams are currently receivable.
The process looks like this in practice: You open the app of your hearing aid manufacturer on your smartphone. The hearing aid has already detected the available Auracast streams: the app displays them as a list, similar to a list of available Wi-Fi networks. You tap on the desired stream. The hearing aid connects directly to the transmitter and plays back the sound.
Because the hearing aid does the actual work and the app only provides the display and selection, the smartphone itself does not need to master Auracast or Bluetooth LE Audio. In many cases, a completely normal, even older phone on which the manufacturer app runs is sufficient. The app communicates with the hearing aid via the already existing Bluetooth connection, nothing more is needed.

The sound is tailored to your hearing aid

An often underestimated advantage of this approach: The Auracast signal does not arrive at you "untreated", but is processed by the hearing aid just like any other sound.
Your hearing aid is set to your individual hearing profile: it amplifies certain frequency ranges more than others, individually tailored to the audiogram. This frequency response is also applied to the Auracast stream. Therefore, the speech from the church or lecture hall arrives not only directly and without room echo, but already precisely shaped in a way that you understand it best.
This is a clear difference from simple Bluetooth headphones, which would only reproduce the same stream unchanged. Many apps also offer an equaliser for streaming, with which the sound balance can be adjusted more finely if needed.

Mix Auracast and surroundings as desired

Equally practical is the ability to determine how much of the Auracast stream and how much of the surroundings you want to hear. Hearing aids usually allow you to adjust the ratio between the streamed signal and the built-in microphones.
This means specifically: In a lecture, you prioritise the stream and largely filter out the room – you understand the speaker clearly and directly. If you still want to catch what your neighbour is saying, you mix in more surroundings. The stream can also be briefly muted if needed, without disconnecting.
So you maintain control and adjust the mix to the respective situation – instead of having to choose between "everything" and "nothing."
When does one still need an Auracast-capable smartphone?
Essentially, there are two ways to join an Auracast stream: Via the manufacturer app: as described above. Works with many existing smartphones, as the hearing aid takes over the assistant work. Directly through the Bluetooth settings of the phone: This native method also exists, but it requires a smartphone that supports Bluetooth LE Audio and Auracast, usually with a fairly recent operating system.
So if you already own a suitable newer smartphone, you simply have an additional, convenient option. Those who do not have one are not excluded – the app variant is available.
Important to know: Auracast is a still young, rapidly developing technology. Which methods work exactly depends on the hearing aid model, the manufacturer, and sometimes on a firmware update. The essential requirement is not the smartphone, but that the hearing aid itself is Auracast-capable. If in doubt, a quick look at the model specification or a conversation with the audiologist will clarify what your device can do.

And what if my hearing aid does not yet support Auracast?

Even then, you do not have to be left out. A compact Auracast receiver, if needed with an inductive neck loop, receives the stream and bridges the gap until your own hearing aid can receive Auracast directly. This way, users of older devices can already benefit today from direct, clear voice transmission. This is exactly why Summitwave offers the portable receiver (RX).
Conclusion
Does your smartphone need to support Auracast for you to connect your hearing aid? Most of the time, no. Because many hearing aids have the assistant function built-in and the app simply reports which streams are available, a regular phone is often sufficient for selection. The sound goes directly into the hearing aid, is adjusted to your personal frequency profile there, and you decide how much Auracast and how much environment you want to hear. The actual requirement is an Auracast-capable hearing aid – not the latest smartphone.