A few weeks ago I bought a used Kia Soul. (Please, no comments from the peanut gallery.) I'm pretty pleased with it overall, and my dog Marty freakin' loves having the spacious back all to himself. But it's a 2013 model, made in that awkward period when pretty much all cars had Bluetooth, but they sucked at it. The Soul's built-in Bluetooth stereo can't play, pause, or change tracks on my phone, which is a bummer.
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Say what you will about LG's smartphone division — it's certainly inventive. Hot off the release of the swiveling LG Wing, the company has been teasing a new rollable handset with a planned 2021 release. There were some questions last month on whether the device would actually ship this year, and despite a spokesperson denying rumors surrounding the phone's cancellation, there's been no sure sign of when the Rollable might be available for purchase. Now the handheld has just passed certification from the Bluetooth SIG, hinting that the device might be in our grasp before you know it.
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If I told you that Razer is making something it calls "smart glasses" (and if you were a cynical and jaded follower of tech news), you might ask, "but where do the RGB lights go?" The answer is nowhere. Surprisingly, Razer's new Anzu smart glasses don't feature any. They're essentially a riff on Bose's Bluetooth audio sunglasses, and they don't feel especially gamer-focused.
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Sonos speakers are highly regarded, but they don't come cheap. The company's least expensive product is the One SL, a stripped-down model that takes the smart speaker functionality out of the One, and it's still $180. A new leak shows two firsts for Sonos: a speaker designed with throw-it-in-your-backpack portability in mind, and one that's a hair cheaper than anything else it offers.
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Anker is probably best known for its phone accessories, but the company also sells a wide range of audio products. Now you can get four of Anker's great Bluetooth speakers for up to 31% off the original prices, but only for today (and while supplies last).
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Apple has become a big name in wireless headphones with AirPods, which are easily the most popular and recognizable earbuds worldwide. AirPods provide reliable connectivity and an all-around great wireless earbud experience, but the sound quality can't compete with a nice set of over-ear headphones. That's what the AirPods Max are about.
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Wear OS may feel dead in the water and might only be receiving a minimum of feature additions, but it remains a widely used platform nonetheless. And it looks like the company isn't completely done with wearables. Following the Bluetooth SIG decision to expand the standard's specifications to enable contact tracing on Bluetooth Low Energy devices like wearables, Google already appears to be working on adding COVID-19 exposure tracing to its platform.
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This story was originally published and last updated .
Razer released its first fully-wireless Bluetooth earbuds last year, the Hammerhead True Wireless. The earbuds were functional enough, but they ultimately failed to stand out against competing products from Apple and Samsung. Razer has now returned with an upgraded model: the Hammerhead True Wireless Pro.
Razer's new earbuds feature an in-ear design, support for active noise cancellation, and the same low-latency Gaming Mode. However, battery life is still a sore point, Gaming Mode isn't incredibly useful, and there's no support for Qualcomm aptX.
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Bluetooth speakers are usually pretty portable products, but Sony's MHC-V13 puts more of a focus on producing sound than being svelte. With big sound, multi-color illumination, and a microphone input, this is the perfect karaoke machine. Normally priced at $249.99, Amazon has it marked down right now for just $198 — a $52 savings.
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I've always been really interested in fun products — even if the product isn't remotely practical or "good" in the traditional sense. Sometimes a truly bleeding-edge device can give us a glimpse of the future, regardless of its flaws. That's what made me interested in the new Bose Frames when they were released a few weeks ago.
The idea of Bose Frames is to combine sunglasses and earbuds into one product by putting directional speakers in the temple of the shades right above the ear. They are the most unusual audio gimmick I've seen in a long time, and the interesting design and genuine enjoyment I get from this product makes it hard to regret my purchase.
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