Another entry into the ultra-competitive space.
Revealed at its annual event in New York, the company’s first wireless earphones feature Microsoft Office and Spotify integration.
Following on the success of its Surface Headphones, the Earbuds contain a prominent circular surface for easier swipe gestures to control music and summon Spotify (with an Android device only) or preferred voice assistant, and a range of different sized tips shaped similarly to Apple’s AirPods.
Exclusive to the Earbuds is Microsoft Office integration, allowing users to live transcribe and caption their speech on PowerPoint, change slides with a swipe, and dictate text on Word.
Unlike some higher-end competitors, the Surface Earbuds do not contain active noise cancelling, but allows eight hours of listening time, and up to 24 hours with the charging case.
The case is a compact oblong shape, similarly to Mobvoi’s TicPods or the Sennheiser Momentum’s with a glossy finish, charging indicator light, and USB-C charging — but no wireless charging, though.
Microsoft’s first truly wireless earphones will land later this year for $249USD (around $370AUD) in silver or a blue-ish grey.
The Connected by Henry Man 