It’s difficult to stand out in the wireless earbuds space, so we welcome any innovations. But it’s more welcome if it’s an actual feature that makes sense. Poly, HP‘s enterprise audio subsidiary, revealed at CES 2023 a pair of earbuds I want to have, even though they are marketed as enterprise-grade earbuds. Let’s talk about what intrigues me about the Poly Voyager Free 60+. And yes, it’s about that display I mentioned in the title.
They have the makings of your typical wireless earbuds. They come with a Qi charging case, touch controls on the buds, mics for clear calls, and active noise cancellation. But what makes these earbuds interesting is they mimic JBL’s Tour PRO 2 by adding a display on the charging case.
It has an OLED touchscreen that allows you to adjust volume, toggle ANC, check the battery status, switch between paired devices, and more.
If you have your smartphone out of reach but the charging case is somehow nearby, this case will let you answer or reject calls from it. The Poly Voyager Free 60+ have three microphones and enhanced wind detection alongside its ANC, ensuring your voice and audio sound clear.
These buds also have Bluetooth aptX for higher-quality audio with other aptX-supported devices. If you need to be aware of your surroundings, these earbuds have a transparency mode, too.
The Poly Voyager Free 60+ can remember up to eight devices and supports two simultaneously, so multi-device management shouldn’t be an issue.
Poly thinks about the on-the-go business people with another rarely seen feature on these Voyager Free buds. They have a broadcast mode that lets you use the included 3.5mm-to-USB-C cable to connect the case to an older device with a headphone jack. That means you can connect these buds to things like the headphone jacks on planes or even on older treadmills to listen wirelessly. These earbuds eliminate the need to carry an extra pair of wired headphones with you on your travels.
The Poly Voyager Free 60+ also have an IP54 rating for splash and dust resistance. They also come with different-sized ear tips and a travel pouch to carry all the included accessories. You can choose between the USB-A and USB-C dongles for pairing with a phone or laptop.
Its battery life is rated at five hours of talk time or eight hours of listening with ANC enabled. Aside from wireless charging, you can charge the case on your laptop via the USB-C-to-USB-A cable.
The Poly Lens app will allow you to change your earbuds’ settings. And IT teams of your company can “manage and receive insights via the Poly software.” Although, I am curious about what data these buds pass on to your employer.
As an enterprise-grade accessory, the Poly Voyager Free 60+ earbuds are certified to work with services like Zoom, Google Meet, and Google Voice. It also works with Microsoft Teams, but that certification will come to a separate Teams-certified edition of these buds.
Speaking of this product being an Enterprise device, I’m unsurprised these earbuds get a rather expensive USD 350 price tag.
These earbuds are definitely worthy of joining our list of Cool Tech of the Week! What do you think of wireless earbuds with a display? Share your thoughts with us on social media!