Where will they think to stick a fitness tracker next? (Please note, this is a rhetorical question.)
To be fair, earbuds with basic fitness-tracking capabilities are hardly a new concept – ever since the first generation of true wireless earphones were launched in the middle of the last decade, there have been versions available that could monitor your heartbeat. But they’ve never been particularly common.
Now Sennheiser are taking the concept up a gear or two with Momentum Sport earbuds, announced this week at tech industry jamboree CES in Las Vegas.
The German audio tech brand has joined forces with Finnish fitness tracking brand Polar Electro to craft the new earbuds, the first non-Polar product to utilize Polar’s Flow data analytics, offering real-time analytics and insights into workouts.
They will use a photoplethysmography (PPG) heart rate sensor and a body temperature sensor that will sync with devices and apps from Apple, Garmin, Strava, Peloton and Polar.
For the first time users will be able to enjoy full access to Polar’s biosensing capabilities and data analytics – including body temperature – in a non-Polar product, giving them real-time insights during training and deeper offline analysis using the Polar Flow app ecosystem.
Other features include:
- A semi-open design for more natural awareness of surroundings
- An acoustic relief channel to minimize footstep noise, breathing and other body-borne distractions like microphonics
- Anti-wind mode
- An Adaptive Noise Cancelling mode to enable the wearer to adapt as their surroundings change
- Up to six hours of battery life, with a quick charge feature for added convenience
They don’t come cheap, though. At $329.95 / £259.99 they’ll cost significantly more than your average earbuds and a bog standard heart rate monitor combined. But you are getting that Sennheiser quality sound and access to Polar’s analytical suite.
Momentum Sport earbuds are set to go on sale globally from April 9, 2024.
