The launch of AirPods in 2016 from Apple has led to major tech giants trying their own hands at truly wireless buds. So far, we have seen Samsung, Google, and even renowned audio companies like Bose release truly wireless earbuds and fail spectacularly in the process. Sony, however, was actually the first company to release a digital assistant-powered Bluetooth earphone back in 2016. The Xperia Ear did not garner much of an attention and was almost immediately forgotten after its release.
At MWC 2018, Sony has released the successor of Xperia Ear dubbed the Xperia Ear Duo. The same tech was demoed by Sony at last year’s MWC. Priced at $280, the Xperia Ear Duo comes with a carrying case similar to the AirPods that also charge the earbuds. The earbuds deliver 4 hours of battery life on a full charge, with the carrying case capable of charging the earbuds three additional times. When compared to the original Xperia Ear, the Ear Duo are significantly bigger. They don’t have the stealthy look like the AirPods or even the GearX Wireless buds.
What’s impressive about the earbuds is that it features “Dual Listening” technology that filters in selected ambient noise while you are listening to music. This means you will still be able to hear someone talking to you while the Xperia Ear Duo is blasting music in your ears.
The Spatial Acoustic Conductor, developed by Sony’s in-house technology incubator Future Lab Program, allows the sound generated behind the ear by the unit’s driver to be transmitted directly into the ear. The specially designed ring supporter surrounds the ear canal so your music can blend seamlessly with sounds from your environment.
The Xperia Ear Duo is compatible with Google Assistant and Siri depending on the device it is paired with. It also features some gestures like nodding or shaking your head so as to quickly accept or reject incoming calls. The earbuds have an IPX2 certification thereby ensuring that you can wear them while on a run, though you should not use them while it is raining.
The Xperia Ear Duo launch in May for $280. So, they are not only bigger, heavier, bulkier than the AirPods, they are also almost twice as expensive than them. For an iPhone owner, it makes little sense to buy the Xperia Ear Duo over the AirPods.
