Last week, a rumor popped up that said Amazon was working on its own pair of truly wireless headphones. Think something like Apple's AirPods or Samsung's (new) Galaxy Buds. At face value, there's nothing too surprising about a company wanting to jump on a bandwagon and offer up a competing product from the other giants. But, unlike a lot of those other companies, it doesn't really make any sense why Amazon would want to go down this route.
What's more, the initial report said that these headphones are one of the most important new developments at the company.
Details are still sparse at this point. Based on the initial rumor we know they'll work and "look like AirPods", insofar that they will sit within the ear and not have a clip to keep them in place. (But they probably won't have that familiar stem design, right?) There will be a charging case for the headphones when they aren't in use, but it doesn't sound like that case will support wireless charging. And, perhaps most importantly, Amazon is reportedly building these headphones with a primary goal of sounding better than Apple's AirPods.
Alexa, Amazon's own digital personal assistant, will be baked into the headphones, too. That means, if these do launch, future owners will be able to ask questions, control media playback, and even buy products. It's that last bit that has me a bit skeptical about these headphones. Does Amazon really need another way to buy things? And would an avid Amazon customer really use them?
Sitting at home, I'd imagine that an Amazon-branded Echo smart speaker would get the job done of buying goods pretty well. But maybe while you're out and about this feature could really stand out. Maybe you see something while out and about, and instead of making a mental note (or physical or digital one for that matter) you just summon Alexa and make your order right then and there.
Unfortunately, in my head, I can picture someone at a bookstore and asking Alexa how much a certain book might cost, comparing prices, and, if Amazon is selling it for less just buying it right then and there for digital reading later. That probably wouldn't be a primary use case for most people, but it's what I pictured in the moment.
Being able to quickly buy goods from Amazon is a unique feature for these headphones and it may very well help them stand out. Especially for Amazon customers that really like using the seller. But will it be enough? Rumor has it that the Amazon wireless headphones will also undercut Apple's AirPods in pricing, which could definitely boost sales.
How do you feel about the rumored Amazon truly wireless headphones? Are you already planning on buying them when/if they launch? How much would you pay for them? Let me know!