True wireless earbuds – like the Apple AirPods – may be fairly new on the personal audio scene, but they're getting better by the day, with cool specs like noise cancellation, great design, and fantastic sound becoming as commonplace as they are with over-ear headphones.
As popular as they are, we're betting that you can't top up your AirPods' battery life with pure sunshine, can you?
That's where Pearl Audio's latest true wireless earbuds come in. Having met and exceeded their crowdfunding goal, these innovative solar-powered earphones could launch as soon as April 2020, providing an intriguing alternative to the likes of the AirPods and other class-leading models like the Sony WF-1000XM3.
- Read our review of the Apple AirPods
- Looking for noise cancellation? Try the AirPods Pro
- These are the best true wireless earbuds you can buy in 2020
It's the first time we've heard of solar-powered true wireless earbuds, although JBL is currently crowdfunding it's own sun-chugging over-ear headphones, the JBL Reflect Eternal.
According to the crowdfunding page, the new Pearl earbuds can also be charged via USB-C or wirelessly with a Qi-compatible charging pad, with six hours of battery contained within the buds themselves, and a further 24 hours provided by the charging case.
A sunny outlook
Like the Apple AirPods Pro, the Pearl true wireless earbuds come with active noise cancellation, as well as an IPX5 water resistance rating, which means they could be suitable for working out, without the worry of a little sweat damaging them.
Looks-wise, they couldn't be more different from the AirPods, however, with hammered metal housings that come in three reflective colors; black, silver, and gold.
The crowdfunding page also claims that these true wireless earbuds come with "AI active loss prevention" – in other words, they come with a feature similar to Apple's 'Find My' technology, which can help you to locate your earbuds if you lose them.
A claimed frequency range of 5-40,000Hz puts the earbuds on a level with high-fidelity over-ear headphones, while the use of beryllium drivers, like the ones seen in the Master & Dynamic MW07, should provide a rich sound with plenty of bass.
That all sounds good, but don't get too excited just yet. Pricing and availability are still to be confirmed, and while early bird backers of the crowdfunding campaign can get the buds for £116 (about $150 / AU$220), this isn't necessarily reflective of the final price when (and if) they come to market.
