Headphones were the original piece of wearable technology and they remain as essential today as ever. But they are starting to change rapidly now, as things like noise cancelling and Bluetooth wireless technology enable the dream of completely cable-free living. What will the best headphones of the future look like?
They look nearly identical, which isn’t fun considering we’ve been waiting nearly eight years for them. Similar to last year’s Beats Studio Pro refresh, Apple is reportedly sneaking in spatial audio, lossless USB-C audio, and other tweaks, according to MacRumors.
That’s according to code spotted in the Google app by 9to5Google. As of last week’s rebrand you can replace Google Assistant with Gemini (formerly Bard) on your phone when you say “Hey Google” or hold the home button, but this doesn’t carry across to other devices like headphones.
It could be a challenge making Gemini’s longer responses work in an audio-only format, however.
The concept at CES shown in this video looks to mix an earbuds case with a round OLED screen and a smartwatch-like interface. I’m not totally sold on earbuds cases with screens, but this seems pretty clever.
If you own Jabra’s Elite 8 Active or Elite 10 earbuds, expect to make some better-sounding calls in March after an over-the-air update announced at CES 2024. The Elite 10’s update will help identify background voices, making it easier for users to take calls in busy coffee shops or co-working spaces.
Meanwhile, the ANC on Elite 8 Active will work better in windy conditions — thanks to improved wind detection technology.
The ATH-TWX7 compact earbuds announced today at CES 2024 include a Soundscapes mode that plays meditative sounds of nature or other calming sounds for when you just want to chill. The noise cancellation tech also has two modes for calls: Natural (for quiet, indoor environments) and Noise Reduction (for louder, outdoor environments).
The “splashproof” buds are priced at $199 and are available now.
MySmartPrice reports that Bose is getting ready to launch new wireless open-ear headphones at CES, over three years after it released the now-discontinued Sport Open Earbuds.
The open headphones feature a G-shaped design that hooks around the ear for a snug fit, similar to Huawei’s FreeClip earbuds. Pricing, specs, and a final product name should hopefully be available soon.
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