Hearables
Research: Cole Massie
Though wearables like Google Glass launched with much attention but never caught on with a wide audience, hearables, or smart earbuds, entered the marketplace to derision but are now in ears everywhere. Today’s bluetooth headphones are tomorrow’s digital personal assistant, real-time language translator, biometric tracker, and hearing aids — all seamlessly integrated with your smartphone or, soon, as standalone hardware.
This is a growing space, with Apple (Air Pods) and Google (Pixel Buds) already on the market, and Amazon’s Alexa-enabled earbuds coming to market later this year. BOSE, an industry standard-bearer for audio, now offers audio sunglasses, no earbuds required. Smaller computer chips and improved processing power means hearables can shrink in size while doing more. As the hardware improves, so do voice capabilities. Increased sales of digital home assistants indicate that consumers are more comfortable using voice to interact with their devices. In addition to hardware, apps and content are a potential marketplace for media companies.
Entertainment
Pairing hearables with the geolocation capabilities of a mobile device creates opportunities for immersive audio experiences in museums or public spaces. Built-in biometric tracking could provide revealing test-audience data to movie and tv producers. Hearables could also incorporate assistive-listening devices that may open live music and other events to new audiences.
News and Information
Widespread adoption of hearables could impact the way news is delivered and who can access that news. News organizations could shift toward audio as their primary delivery mechanism while making stories shorter, and grow international audiences with hearables’ translation abilities. Alerts that news organizations now push out via text could be distributed through hearables.
Positioning
Brands can also take advantage of hearables’ geolocation capabilities by alerting nearby shoppers to sales. Hearables could also leverage user-data to alert consumers to products that may interest them.
Compelling startups
Waverly Labs, Brooklyn
Over-the-ear, real-time speech translator available in 15 languages.
MIXHalo, San Francisco
High-quality, real-time audio delivered to attendees’ phones and headphones.
Audiojack, Los Angeles
Maker of audio-based immersive narrative experiences.
Additional Resources:
- Hearables Will Monitor Your Brain and Body to Augment Your Life / IEEE Spectrum
- How Wearable AI Will Amplify Human Intelligence / Harvard Business Review
