Keep tapping, HP’s latest wireless earbuds sport a touchscreen case
Touchy buds
While earbuds’ most recent trend has been ditching wires, we’re starting to see a new one emerge – touchscreen cases. JBL’s Tour Pro 2 released with a screen-covered case in 2022, but now HP wants in. The brand’s new Voyager Free 60 Plus earbuds take true wireless earbuds and slap a touchscreen on the charging case.
The OLED screen adorning the charging case allows you to control playback, volume, settings, battery, and even answer calls. Since the buds support multi-device connection, you can use the case to switch between devices. HP will also release a model of the new Voyager buds with a standard case, packing an extra ten hours of battery life.
Touchy features aside, HP’s Voyager Free 60 Plus make a pretty sweet set of in-ear cans. You’ll find adaptive noise cancellation with a transparency mode, wind reduction for calls, support for AptX, and gesture controls. Plus, they’re lightly water and dust resistant with an IP54 rating – though we’re talking sweat resistance, not washing machine protection.
HP reckons the buds will last for eight hours with ANC turned on. They then needing juicing up in the case, which supports both wired and wireless charging. Certain models will even come with a 3.5mm cable to plug into the case (which then connects to the buds) for wired listening. And, since they are pegged for enterprise customers, the buds are certified for Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Google Meet. Interestingly, IT managers can manage settings and view data metrics from a companion app.
Despite the fact these earbuds are designed for enterprise customers, everyday gadget fans will be able to get their mits on them too. HP announced that they’ll start from $299, but that’s for a model sans screen. Pricing information for the touchscreen models isn’t available yet, but we reckon you’ll be looking at an extra couple hundred dollars. The Voyager buds will hit the shelves in March after their debut at CES this month.
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