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Bragi's latest wireless earbuds are now available for $149
Bragi announced the follow-up to its feature-packed activity tracking Dash wireless earbuds back in September. That product, known as the Headphone, was slated to ship in November, but after a short delay it's now available to everyone. The new $149 set of wireless in-ear headphones don't carry the same tracking abilities and hand gestures as its $300 predecessor, but don't let the lack of smarts fool you. This more affordable model is still a solid set of wireless earbuds.
Earin's latest wireless earbuds tout AirPod-like controls
Fancy the subtle tap-based controls of Apple's AirPods but want something that's not quite so conspicuous (or conspicuously targeted at iPhone owners)? Earin wants to talk. It's introducing its second set of wireless earbuds, the M-2, and they promise a taste of AirPod-like control in a subtler design. You only have to tap an earbud to pause your music or answer a call -- no reaching for your phone or fiddling with buttons. It's not as sophisticated as the AirPods (you won't be talking to Siri as easily), but the simplicity remains a big deal.
Sony's Xperia Ear is not the hands-free assistant I wanted
In theory, Sony's newest wearable sounds promising. The Xperia Ear is a single Bluetooth earbud that lets you dictate messages, get weather updates and smartphone notifications, and carry out other little tasks just by talking to it. It's like having an Amazon Echo in your ear, except with far fewer skills and third-party integrations. Sony also promises a long-lasting battery that can endure a full workday of talk time with the included charging case, so you can have the assistant ready for your commands all day. Unfortunately, the Xperia Ear simply doesn't do enough to justify its $200 asking price.
The AirPods aren't a must-buy (yet)
The iPhone 7 goes on sale in a few days, and with it comes another nail in the headphone jack's proverbial coffin. Included in the box you'll find a pair of Lightning-tipped EarPods and a Lightning-to-3.5mm adapter for your analog headphones, but to hear Apple tell it, the future of music is wireless. That's where the $159 AirPods come in: the company's totally cordless earbuds are slated for an October launch, and they promise elegance, ease of use and great sound. They deliver ... some of that, but after about a week of testing, they often felt as confusing as they did cool. Note: Our original review was conducted with AirPods that we understood to be consumer ready, but in hindsight that obviously wasn't the case. After using the originals for about three months with no issue, I received a final-production set, and was able to compare the two. We have since updated this review with further impressions. Long story short: We are bumping the score from 79 to 80, but generally speaking all of our earlier praise and criticism still applies.
Jabra's truly wireless earbuds track your heart rate during workouts
Jabra just announced a two revised sports headphone models last month, but the company is already back with more portable audio news. This time around, the in-ear headphones are truly wireless without a short cord to connect the two buds. Following on the heels of the Bragi Dash and Samsung Gear IconX, Jabra's Elite Sport is two separate wireless earbuds that offer heart rate tracking.
Motorola's latest wireless earbuds don't live up to expectations
In June, Motorola unveiled its VerveLife line of "lifestyle" products, with the VerveOnes+ wireless earbuds being the first to go on sale. These are truly wireless, existing as two independent pods that you wedge into your ear holes, with no wires or headband to be found. Needless to say, I was excited at the prospect of ultracompact Bluetooth earbuds -- especially after reading about the Bragi Dash, a similar device. Sure, these headphones will be easy to lose (something the company addresses), but having a semi-smart audio system without tangles that's easy to stow in your pocket ... that seemed like the future. Sadly, while there are some useful features and the sound quality is indeed respectable, the form factor itself still has some lingering issues -- most notably, drops in earpiece-to-earpiece syncing. That's a problem, given the $250/£230 price tag.
B&O Play get into the wireless earbud game
B&O Play came very late to the Bluetooth audio game, but it didn't matter because the sound quality was worth the wait. The firm is now widening its wireless range with the H5, its first set of in-ear buds that ditch the 3.5 mm connector. The big selling point is that the gear will connect to a smartphone app, letting you tweak the sound profile to the situation, such as commuting, podcasts or working out. They can also tweak the "tonality and staging" to their own ends by delving further into the app, the settings saved until you choose to readjust.
Jaybird's Freedom wireless earbuds balance sound and battery life
True to its word, Jaybird's latest wireless sport earbuds are making their debut in the first half of 2016. The company's $200 Freedom in-ears are now available and I've been putting them through their paces for the past few days. This new model follows Jaybird's popular X2, adding customized sound through a companion app and an accessory that could end your battery woes. It's that mix of sound and features that makes the Freedom a worthy competitor when it comes to fitness-focused in-ear headphones.
Bragi Dash review: The smartest earbuds on the planet
Since I started at Engadget, it's been my life's mission (possible exaggeration) to reduce the number of gadgets I carry when I run. At one point, getting ready for a workout was something of a memory test. Where's my heart-rate strap? Did I charge my MP3 player overnight? Where's the foot-pod thingy? Are my headphones where I usually leave them? What about the GPS dongle and my running watch? You get the picture.
