It's hard to believe that the age of wireless technology is pretty young, and Bluetooth really changed everything. Another recent invention that changed everything were the earbuds, and now these are going completely wireless. Most of the time, when you mention "wireless earbuds", what comes to mind is two earbuds joined together by a wire that goes on the back of the user's neck, and Bluetooth syncs them to a mobile device. The year of 2016 will begin an age of truly wireless earbuds, from such companies like Kanoa, EARIN, the Kickstarter project Fireflies and even Samsung wants in on this game.
Yes, these wireless earbuds look like earplugs that work with Bluetooth, and they have a few common traits. For example, the one from Kanoa can hold about 4 hours of playing time, but they have a box for charging. This charging pod can hold about 5 extra charges per earphone, and fully charge them in 1.5 hours. I had a chance to see them at CES, and they are pretty impressive.
I also saw the EARIN at CES, and they were very similar. These particular wireless earbuds are practically bullets made of a single piece of aluminum that you push into your ears, but there is a difference. This one has a charging capsule that allows for the earbuds to charge. It costs about $249, which is starting to be the average price.
There are wireless earbuds for a lower price, such as a Kickstarter project named Fireflies. These have a pretty interesting shape for the ears and a charging pod. A donation of $79 will get you a pair sometime in August, and more information can be found about them here.
Of course, if there is any trend, then you know one of the big companies are trying to jump on the bandwagon. This is the case for Samsung, with their new Gear IconX. According to Best Products, these wireless earbuds to work with Android smartphones, and it utilizes the Bluetooth 4.1 connectivity.
What is interesting about these particular Gear IconX earbuds is that it has 4GB of built-in memory, which allows them to store up to 1,000 songs without even a smartphone. Apparently, the user can control the playback of songs with swiping gestures.
Also, the Samsung Gear IconX has a built-in accelerometer and heart-rate sensor. It even has microphones, for some great phone calls and noise isolation. And it has a charging case, and the cost of it is $200.
It is pretty clear that we are looking at an age of wireless earbuds, and it look like the price is going to be $200-$300 for some high-end ones, but were getting lower cost functioning ones for less than or equal to $99.
