Google wants to be more like Apple than ever, Sundar Pichai said in a recent interview. The tech giant wants to control both the software and hardware, and improve user privacy features.
The company is about to unveil a wide range of new devices, including new Pixel phones, a miniaturized Google Home smart speaker, and a new high-end Chromebook. But Google might also unveil a product that may turn out to be a best-selling device: An AirPods alternative for Android.
Apple’s AirPods might be among the best products Apple has to offer. Apple had to deal with launch delays, and users had to wait for weeks to have their AirPods shipped. But the wireless headphones received stellar reviews, turning them into a must-have device for many Apple device owners.
For a few weeks now, we’ve known that Google is working on a pair of wireless headphones of its own. That’s not surprising, considering the Pixel 2 phones will lack a headphone jack. Codenamed “Bisto” in Google’s mobile Search app for Android, the headphones appear to have a final name. They may be called Google Earphones, according to 9to5Google’s most recent findings.
The latest version of the Google app for Android reveals what appears to be the name of the product, which falls in line with Google’s naming style. We’ve got Google Assistant, Google Home, and Google Wifi, with Google Home Mini incoming. “Google Earphones” makes perfect sense.
Previous leaks said the speakers will let users invoke the Google Assistant, just like the AirPods. But the new leak reveals more details about the headphones. Just like the AirPods, they’ll have smart detection features. That means they’ll stop music playback when one Earphone is taken out of your ear, and probably resume it when it’s placed back.
Just like the AirPods, they’ll be priced at $159 according to a recent rumor. However, unlike the AirPods, Google’s Earphones may have a different form factor. We may be looking at neckbuds rather than truly wireless earbuds — they’ll still connect wirelessly to Pixels and other gadgets, of course.
