As spotted by Liliputing, something odd just showed up over at the FCC: a pair of Google-branded, over-ear, active noise-canceling headphones. They don't look like anything super special, outside of the trademark Google colors surrounding the power button on each ear. Oh, and a letter from Google Inc to the FCC certifying the wireless hardware is within specifications.
The headphones, model number "GID5B," have a built-in microphone for answering calls, charge over Micro USB, and include a traditional audio cable for tethered listening. But the manual doesn't mention Google or a catchier brand name.
There are a few possible explanations for these headphones existing:
1. These are swag for an upcoming Google I/O event. Google loves to give hardware to developers who attend its events, but it seems like it would be a lot easier to just slap a logo on some white label headphones than go through the trouble of getting all-new hardware through the FCC.
2. These are for Google's merchandise store, which already carries a bunch of garish Google-branded (but not Google-manufactured) Bluetooth accessories. Same reasons as option number one, same caveats.
3. These are a new product for mass public consumption. In which case: why do they look so boring, and what's with the non-standard logo? As pointed out on Reddit, a reference to a device "Bisto" that includes "Spoken Notifications" was recently leaked in an Android update. Could GID5B be Bisto?
In any case, without any more info, these appear to be exceedingly pedestrian wireless headphones that aren’t too different from the hundreds of options you can buy on Amazon right now. We've reached out to Google for comment, and will update this post when we know more.
Update April 26th, 1:44PM ET: Android Police points out that these are likely an upgrade to existing headphones that Google issues to its employees. The circle logo is definitely the same, and while GID5B doesn’t look amazing, it certainly seems like an improvement: