How Hearables Could Change Everything
A.I.-powered earbuds are poised to revolutionize our everyday lives—and the future of tech
When Apple introduced the iPod in 2001, the actual product didn’t end up being the main attraction. The coolest part, the thing that transformed users from forgettable stranger to fashion guru, was the iconic white earbuds. They weren’t spectacularly different from any other earbuds or headphones on the market back then, but when you saw that white cord peeking out of someone’s pocket, you knew they were cool.
With the recent surge in headphone and earbud technology, from AirPods to smart headphones, it’s clear this market is heating up. As new manufacturers jump into the industry and capitalize on the momentum, the next trend on the horizon is hearables. Derived from wearables (products like Apple Watches and Fitbits), hearables could be an all-in-one, A.I.-powered solution to a host of consumer demands. Recent innovations suggest that this new iteration of headphones and earbuds could even replace many of the products we’re quickly adopting as part of our everyday lives.
The industry is experiencing a moment of rapid change that is historically unusual. In comparison to the devices they plug into, earbuds and headphones haven’t changed much since they were popularized with the…
