German design studio Porsche Design has launched a pair of premium True Wireless (TWS) earbuds with active noise cancellation. Founded in 1972 by Ferdinand Porsche, the designer of the original Porsche 911, Porsche Design is known for its high-end fashion accessories, including sunglasses, watches, luggage, sportswear, and pens. The company also co-brands premium smartphones in collaboration with Huawei as part of the Porsche Design Huawei Mate series.
Even though Porsche Design just launched its first true wireless product, TWS has been a growing segment ever since Apple released its first-generation AirPods back in 2016. Almost all major consumer electronics and smartphone companies have since launched their TWS products, including Samsung, Google, Xiaomi, Huawei, and more. Pricing varies wildly between brands and models, but the Porsche Design pair are at the premium end of the market, as expected.
Porsche Design this week launched a pair of minimalist earbuds called the 'True Wireless Earphones PDT60.' According to the official product listing page, the device comes with IPX5 water resistance and 5 hours of playtime (15 hrs with the case). The earbuds feature a minimalist design and are built out of aluminum with a matte finish on the exterior. The designer charging case also comes with a metallic frame with the PD monogram embossed on the sliding lid. The case can be charged via a USB-C cable or wirelessly using the Qi wireless charging standard. The battery level is indicated by LEDs. The company claims that just 15 minutes of charging can offer up to four hours of playback time.
Active Noise Cancellation & Touch-Based Controls
On the hardware side of things, the PDT60 comes with 8mm neodymium drivers and offers Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity. It also comes with a critical AirPods feature, whereby it pauses playback when removed from the ears and resumes when placed back. The PDT60 offers both active noise-canceling for removing background and ambient noise while listening to music and electronic noise-cancellation for calls and video chats. It also offers touch-based controls, enabling users to receive or reject calls, control music volume, and summon the phone's voice assistant using touch gestures.
The PDT60 ships with a USB-C charging cable and 3 earbud-tips for different ear sizes. The Porsche Design earbuds come with a $299 price-tag, which is slightly more than that of the Apple AirPods Pro, but unlike Apple's offering, this is built out of aluminum, not plastic. It is a cool pair of earbuds to own, not least because of the Porsche Design branding. Still, folks who think that's way too much to pay for a pair of earbuds, can opt for something like the OnePlus Buds Z2 or Nothing ear (1) both of which cost $99.
Source: Porsche Design