CES 2020: TicPods 2 Pro come with new gesture and voice controls
Mobvoi has announced today the next generation of its smart earbuds, the TicPods 2 and TicPods 2 Pro. Both come with improved sound quality, while the latter also introduces new gesture and voice controls.
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Externally, the buds look identical although the Pro version is a tad bit heavier (4.4 grams vs 4.2 grams). They feature a more streamlined, open-fit earbud design with thinner stems, which directly transmits sound into a user’s ear canal. The benefit of this is that it does away with the need to have a silicone tip to seal off ambient noise.
The carrying/charging case has also undergone a redesign and is now 42% smaller than before making it much easier to carry around. The upgraded case supports USB-C charging with an A-C cable.
Other improvements include the integration of the Qualcomm aptX Audio encoder which delivers better sound quality than with the previous generation. This is coupled with noise-cancellation allowing you to better enjoy the high-definition audio.
Both versions share touch controls of the previous generation, quick pairing, AI voice assistant and an IPX4 water-resistant rating. Continuous playtime is around 4 hours. Battery life with the charging case is up to 23 hours for TicPods 2 and 20 hours for the more power-hungry Pro version. A quick 5 minute top-up ensures an hour’s worth of juice.
The more fancy TicPods 2 Pro goes further with new multi-control features. The gives you the option to interact with the buds not only through touch, but also via gesture and voice. Mobvoi has achieved this through something it calls AI-based TicMotion head motion controls and TicHear voice AI technologies.
In addition to a standard wake-up word, the first of these allows you to use multiple quick voice commands. The benefit is that there’s now a natural way of interacting with the thing. You can, for example, control audio by saying “play music”, “pause music”, “next song”, etc. The same applies to voice calls.
Another new way to interact is TicMotion. The accelerometer and gyroscope inside the Pro version track a users’s head and neck movement. This provides you with some nifty ways to interact with the buds. For example nodding your head twice indicates you’d like to pick up a call, shaking twice sends the message to ignore the caller.
Here are the main differences between TicPods 2 and TicPods 2 Pro spelled out.
The lower spec TicPods 2 sell for $99 on Mobvoi.com, while TicPods 2 will set you back $40 more. Both can also be preordered from today on Amazon (check price) in three colors including Navy, Ice and Blossom. Those that are quick can take advantage of a 10% discount that will last until January 15th.
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