HTC has plans to release some wireless earbuds in the near future. And there are absolutely no prizes on offer for guessing which company’s existing earbuds they look like.
Android Police found evidence of the forthcoming U Ear AirPods earbuds Monday. The images were discovered through regulatory agency filings in the U.S. and Taiwan. Boasting a similar shape and glossy plastic design to Apple’s ultra-successful AirPods, the U Ear buds differ most significantly in HTC’s choice of black as a color option.
Then again, there’s nothing to stop it from releasing the product in a variety of different shades!
Apple launched its AirPods in 2016. Since then, they have gone on to become a massive smash hit for the company — along with one of its most recognizable, iconic designs in years.
Apple went to enormous efforts to create the AirPods, including building a massive database of 3D-scanned human ears to ensure the most comfortable possible fit. The hard work seems to have paid off, though. This year, Apple is projected to sell more than 100 million units. Recently, Greg Joswiak, Apple’s vice president of product marketing, said that, “It was almost like wildfire how quickly it spread. [AirPods have] done even better than we could ever imagine.”
HTC’s answer to AirPods?
It’s therefore no surprise that other companies would be interested in jumping on board with their own wireless earbuds. Some, like Amazon’s, are clearly designed to compete with Apple, but offer distinctive designs. Others — of which HTC is by no means the first — are far closer to Apple’s design.
Fortunately, Apple has continued to innovate. New devices like the AirPods Pro changed up the form factor and feature set. Going forward, Apple is investigating other wireless headphones, too — along with new smart features unavailable on current AirPods.
Which wireless earbuds do you think are number one? Let us know in the comments below.
