Following the release of Microsoft’s Surface Headphones last year, it seems that the company may just be getting started with premium audio accessories. According to a new report from Brad Sams, the software giant has been paying attention to Apple’s success with the AirPods, and it has been working on its own Surface-branded wireless earbuds.
“According to multiple sources who are familiar with the company’s plans, Microsoft is currently working on a pair of earbuds under the code name of Morrison,” wrote Sams. “The company is looking to capitalize upon the development of its audio tech by expanding its portfolio to cover the two major categories of headphones: over-ear and in-ear.”
Microsoft’s Surface Headphones are over-ear headphones, which means that they fully encompass the ears for better comfort and isolation. However, most people prefer the convenience of earbuds or in-ear headphones, so it really makes sense for Microsoft’s Surface team to explore these other form factors.
Apple went to great lengths to make its AirPods wireless Bluetooth earbuds stand out, building their own wireless chips allowing seamless syncing with Apple products. It’s still not clear yet what special technology Microsoft could bring to the table, except the Cortana integration we’ve already seen in the Surface headphones. “By looking at what the Surface Headphones offer, Cortana integration, noise cancellation, and what I have heard, is a way to improve interactions between a phone and the earbuds to make reading content easier on the phone, are all on the agenda for this hardware,” explained Sams.
Earbuds and headphones in general are a pretty exciting product category these days. It’s also a great market to be in for tech companies, and there’s no denying that Apple’s AirPods could soon become as iconic as the white iPod earbuds and EarPods. According to Sams, a 2019 release date for the Surface Buds (not the official retail name yet) is “plausible,” but we’ll have to wait and see. If you skipped the Surface Headphones, would you be more interested in wireless Surface Buds from Microsoft? Sound off in the comments below.
