Wireless headphones have been around for a while, but now that smartphone makers are making a habit of launching phones that lack headphone jacks, I suspect they’ll become even more common. While wireless headsets come in a range of shapes and sizes, one of the latest trends is “truly wireless” models that don’t even have a cable running from one earbud to the other.
While some models in this category sell for over $300, others sell for substantially less.
It looks like Motorola is aiming for the middle ground with its new Stream wireless earbuds. They’re now available in the UK for £80, or about $104. And according to The Verge, the Motorola Stream Earbuds are coming to the US in the next month.
The earbuds feature IPX4 splash-resistance, and have a built-in mic with support for Siri and Google Voice Search/Assistant.
Motorola’s wireless earbuds also come with a charger case… which seems like a pretty necessary accessory. You only get up to 2 hours of audio playback time when using the earbuds on their own. But since they charge automatically when they’re placed in the case, you should be able to go about 6 hours before you need to recharge the case.
If you want longer battery life, you might want to opt for a model with a cable… and maybe a neckband.
I have a pair of truly wireless earbuds, and they are just unusable while running, as they just keep falling even though they come with three “cover” sizes.
So they are not suited for all cases.
Eventually, wireless headphones will be a thing of the past. You can already find decent quality Bluetooth earbuds for very reasonable prices. Sound quality and battery life will continue to improve and more and more people will switch over to wireless.