Microsoft announces Surface Headphones – Business Insider

Microsoft

• Microsoft just announced the release of its $350 Surface Headphones.
• The headphones will feature active and passive noise cancelation, bluetooth and wired connections, fast charging, and Cortana support.
• The Surface Headphones will be available later this holiday season.

Apple has its AirPods, Google built the Pixel Buds, and now Microsoft has its Surface Headphones. 

The $350 over-the-ear Surface Headphones, available later this holiday season, were announced at a Microsoft event in New York City on Tuesday. They’ll feature active and passive noise cancelation, bluetooth and wired connections, fast charging, and Cortana support.

Users can ask Microsoft’s Cortana voice assistant to pause, play, or change songs, as well as utilize Cortana’s non-audio functionalities like reminders and Bing searches. The headphones will also notice when they’re taken off someone’s head, and will pause songs or mute calls accordingly while the headset is removed. 

The idea, it seems, is to offer a pair of high-end headphones that complement Microsoft’s high-end Surface hardware. Indeed, on Tuesday, Microsoft announced a trio of new Surface computers: the Surface Pro 6, the Surface Laptop 2, and the Surface Studio 2. 

Here are the key specs for the Surface Headphones: 

• 20-20k Hz frequency response 
• Up to 30 dB active noise cancelation, up to 40 dB passive noise cancelation 
• 15-hour battery life using functions like active noise cancelation and Bluetooth
• 50-hour battery life when idle or not using battery-draining functions
• Bluetooth compatibility
• 3.5 mm audio jack and USB-C connector 

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