When assessing technology and determining its worth vs. hype, it can be a tough thing to do. In the bluetooth world today, this is especially true. Companies like Sony and Soundcore are some of the most notable companies that typically have the most feature sets on the bluetooth devices.
However, most of those features could be argued that they aren’t useful features and, therefore, should be classified as gimmicks. Speak to chat, Touch-to-talk, or Bose speak to launch commands, and others typically are brought up as useless features or gimmicks because they are not commonly used or needed. But then again, a company like Technics who brings out their Magnetic Fluid Drivers… you can easily say that this was not a typical gimmick feature added and actually made a sizeable difference in the sound. In fact, it’s the foundation of their leap from az80- az100..
Things like ANC and Hear thru(Ambient) have passed their test of time to the point that all bluetooth earphones must have these options and features in them if they wish to compete these days. Having an app where you can control the EQ changes has become a needed feature and no longer an option these days. Even some of the most respected companies in the world known for their in-house sound include EQ because they understand the subjective needs of the customers.
Then, we have the new LE audio features that most earphones companies have dripped into their earphones to prepare for the future. These are definitely being considered by all a needed features but for some of us, we still consider this stuff gimmicks because they don’t make any measurable difference in the use of the earphones on a day to day case normally. Sure, it would be useful that 1x you use them instead of the earphones they give out for free at the exhibition or presentation that uses Auracast.
But as we see, all of the latest earphones pretty much have this option. So it could just become a common feature you better have if you wish to sell your product in this market, like ANC has become. But all these, to me, depend not on the earphones but the places that actually use this tech to their fullness. I would love to be able to get an announcement over my bluetooth earphones about my plane and boarding updates while I’m listening to my music. That way, I don’t have to listen out for anything or use hear thru. But it’s got to be flawless and universal at all airports. Or maybe go to a drive-in movie with that option…that would be cool. If this becomes a common place, then the tech will not be considered gimmicky.
The last feature that is becoming the goal may shock you, but it’s size. More and more, you see companies looking to make things smaller but at the same time contain more power. Every generation is smaller or lighter somehow, and I don’t think this will stop this year. Companies like Sony and Sennheiser are due to make their launch of their new earphones versions in 2025. And just like Technics, who launched their Az100 smaller and lighter than the Az80 previous launched, the next versions of the companies and others will seek to do the same. I believe this is the year battery life will be addressed by a great many companies that left this to the side while still making their new models smaller in some way. I mean, just look at the jump the Az100 took.
Tech-N-Things 