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?
The headphones have now appeared on the FCC database after image renders leaked in February, with 9to5Mac saying they’ll be available on May 2nd for $199.99. The publication says the Beats Solo 4 will include up to 50 hours of battery life alongside support for Apple’s “Find My” feature and one-touch pairing for Android devices.
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.
