It looks like the trend of open-ear headphones is making a comeback. This started with the Huawei FreeClip, and it looks like Bose has its own to add to the market. This comes in the form of the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds though the initial launch comes as part of a collaboration with a fashion brand.
According to the online press release, the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds will debut first as part of a limited edition run with Kith. The product itself will also have said fashion brand being featured, in the easily identifiable Bose style.
Co-branding aside, the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds themselves are described by the brand as having “an innovative cuff-shaped design” which makes them “appear more like a fashion accessory than a traditional audio wearable”. But more importantly, the company claims that these “provide comfort for all-day wear, without making you choose between immersive audio and awareness”.
Tech specs are on the limited side, but at least we have some of the essentials like battery life. Which are rated at seven-and-a-half hours of playtime, or four-and-a-half with Immersive Audio enabled. The case provides an additional 19.5 hours, though it’s not specified if this is with or without Immersive Audio. Also part of the package is IPX4, but again, it’s unclear whether these apply to just the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, or if the case also shares the rating.
The Kith for Bose Ultra Open Earbuds are priced at US$300 (~RM1,417), with the announcement also noting that they are available starting today. The co-branded version is, as mentioned a limited edition which is exclusive to the Kith physical and online stores. The latter claims it does international shipping, presenting us with a price tag of RM1,650.
It’s unclear if the high asking price is due to the co-branding, but for what it’s worth, a similar listing has appeared on SIRIM, with the name jumbled up a little. This is usually a sign that a product will be available locally, and in this case, it will probably be the vanilla version of the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds.
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