What you need to know
- Microsoft's Surface Earbuds are now available for preorder.
- The Surface Earbuds support gestures and integrate with Office 365.
- They will be available from May 12 for $199.
The Surface Earbuds do not feature noise cancellation, but that choice was made by Microsoft to help people who wear headphones all day. The Surface Earbuds support haptic gestures, such as swiping forward or back to navigate playlists and swiping up or down to adjust playback volume.
The Surface Earbuds have Omnisonic speakers to deliver high-quality audio. Microsoft states that the headphones will get up to 8 hours of battery life on their own and up to 24 hours of battery when combined with their USC-C charging case.
| Category | Surface Earbuds |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | Each earbud: 0.98" (25 mm) x 0.78" (19.9 mm) |
| Charging case | 2.96" (75 mm) x 1.31" (33.2 mm) x 0.98" (25 mm) |
| Weight Each earbud | 7.2g with ear tip |
| Charging case | 40g without earbuds |
| Exterior Color | Glacier |
| Frequency response | 20 –20 kHz |
| Microphone | Two microphones per earbud |
| Speaker | 13.6mm driver |
| Battery life | Up to 24 hours battery with included charging case Up to eight hours of continuous listening per charge A 10-minute charge provides up to one hour of battery life |
| Cord | USB-A to USB-C cord (1 meter) |
| Audio codecs | SBC and aptX |
| Waterproof rating | IPX4 |
| Compatibility | Windows 10, Android 4.4, iPhone 5, iOS9, Bluetooth 4.1/4.2 |
| Controls | Touch, tap, swipe, voice |
| Warranty | One-year limited hardware warranty |
You can connect the Surface Earbuds to Windows 10 with Swift Pair and Android phones with Fast Pair. At launch, the Surface Earbuds will be available in "glacier" white, but darker grey versions should be available at a later date. You can read more about the Surface Earbuds in our post covering their announcement.
Microsoft's super smart earbuds
Now at a lower price, the Surface Earbuds will undoubtedly turn some heads when you're out wearing them, but you'll be able to make use of gesture support on your PC, iPhone, or Android smartphone.
