Apple recently launched the second-generation truly wireless AirPods. And in May, the Beats-branded Powerbeats Pro will join the fray as well. But if you might be in the market for a pair of truly wireless headphones that feature Amazon’s Alexa digital personal assistant, you may get your wish soon.
According to a report this week from Bloomberg, Amazon is currently working on a pair of truly wireless headphones that will “look and act” similar to what we see in the Apple AirPods. The report indicates that Amazon’s design will sit in-ear, however there won’t be a clip to hold them in place (similar to how AirPods work, different to how Powerbeats Pro work). And Amazon is reportedly designing the headphones to sound better than AirPods as well — which will ultimately come down to subjective hands-on time.
Alexa will reportedly be built into the headphones, and prompting the digital personal assistant will not only offer media playback controls, but also allow for users to search for things, and even order goods directly from Amazon (because of course). Amazon will include a carrying/charging case, which can be charged with a standard USB cable. The headphones will reportedly come in black and gray, but the colors could change before launch.
As far as a release date or pricing is concerned, those two things remain unknown at this time. It is said in the report that Amazon is aiming to undercut Apple’s pricing, though, so these headphones would need to be priced below $159 (or $199, if we’re comparing the second-gen AirPods with a wireless charging case).
Bloomberg says these truly wireless headphones are one of the most, if not the most, important products Amazon’s Lab126 is working on right now. There have reportedly been delays in design work up to this point, but Amazon is apparently happy with where things are at now, and is reportedly seeking manufacturing partners to bring the new headphones to the market in the near future.
Our Take
Alexa, Amazon’s digital personal assistant, is already all over the place — kind of like Google Assistant. And while wireless headphones are obviously gaining traction in the market, why this type of hardware would be important to Amazon is an interesting question.
We Want To Hear From You
Would you buy a pair of Alexa-enabled truly wireless headphones if Amazon gets around to launching them?
[via Bloomberg]
