After doing as much online research as possible, I still had a bunch of questions, so I emailed AB. They responded by saying they needed to know a little more about me and my lifestyle in order to help with the accessories, so I ended up giving them a call. The representative I spoke with was very helpful, so I’ve chosen the accessories I’ll get as my “freebies” with the implant:

• Naida CI Connect – allows streaming from any Bluetooth-capable device directly into the implant. Definitely a must for me, as I often stream from my phone or iPad.
• Phonak Roger Select – external microphone. I can put it next to any sound source or, say, in the middle of a table or by someone else who’s speaking so the sound from it will go directly into my implant. The rep sent me a video about it and it seems way more advanced than the SurfLink I use now.
• Roger 17 Receiver – receiver for the Roger Select (attaches to the external processor).
• AAA Battery Pack – I get 2 rechargeable batteries with the CI; this is just in case I’m ever in a situation where I have no power to recharge or I somehow use them up.
• Phonak TV Connector – for streaming the TV to my implant. We may have to get a new stereo receiver in order to use this, as the last time we tried a similar device to stream the TV to my T-coil hearing aid, it disabled the stereo speakers (we have the TV sound going through the stereo), rendering it only audible to me — not helpful when my husband is trying to watch with me.