Orlaith CostelloMicrosoft is reportedly developing Surface-branded true wireless earbuds, codenamed “Morrison”, to take on Apple’s AirPods that may be revealed by year’s end.
Sources confirmed to Thurrott that these earbuds are in development and consumers can expect Cortana integration and noise cancellation.
Thurrott also reported that Microsoft was aiming it easier to read on your phone by “improving interactions between the handset and the earbuds.
Although the Surface headphones, came to the market with clever controls and good connectivity, they failed to make an impact with sound quality or price.
Prototype via Thurrott
True wireless earbuds are exploding in popularity, so it makes sense that if Microsoft would move into this space.
Although other sound companies — like Sennheiser, Jabra and Jaybird — have offered compelling alternatives to AirPods, they remain the dominant brand in the true wireless space.
Microsoft is not the only tech company that is looking towards the true wireless market, with reports emerging earlier this month that Amazon is in the process of developing its own earbuds to compete with the AirPods.
Microsoft has not confirmed the report and as such, there is no timetable for the earbuds release.
However, Thurrott’s sources claim the earbuds could surface by the end of the year but did not guarantee a launch. We may see a prototype — if one exists — by the end of the year.
In contrast, according to Bloomberg, Apple is reportedly developing its own pair of over-the-ear headphones with Apple branding as opposed to Beats, expected to launch this year.