Bose takes on AirPods and Beats by baking in Google

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Bose
Bose's Quietcomfort 35 II wireless headphones are the start of a partnership with Google.
Photo: Bose

Apple’s AirPods and Beats headphones are getting some fresh competition from one of the biggest audio companies in the game. And they’re getting a little help from Apple’s rival, Google.

Bose unveiled two new products today. One is its first ever foray into the world of truly wireless earbuds. The other is a pair of brand new noise-canceling headphones that are also designed to work with Google Assistant.

Google detailed how it helped Bose optimize the new QC 35 II headphones in a blog post today. With the new cans, listeners can be jamming to music and then instantly access Google Assistant with the push of a button.

The QC 35 II headphones are designed to be worn anywhere life takes you. Bose’s active noise cancellation eliminates unwanted sounds so you are still able to hear Assistant. They cost $349 and will be available in the US, Australia, UK, Canada, Germany and France at launch.

Bose’s first wireless buds

Bose

If you’re looking for something slightly cheaper and way less bulky than the new over-the-ear headphones, Bose also revealed its new SoundSport Free earbuds today.

Aimed at people that exercise, they’re water and sweat resistant. The buds weigh just 0.35 ounces each and are 1.1 inches high. Bose says it packed a new antenna system into the tiny earbuds allowing them to send tunes from 30 feet away. You can get 5 hours of listening time out a single charge and they come with a charging case that can get you an extra 10 hours of life.

Bose also added a ‘find my buds’ feature. Just pull up an app on your iPhone and it will pull up a map showing where you put them. The SoundSport Free earbuds are set to launch in October for $249.95

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