Bose releases a Google Assistant powered headphone
The renowned personal assistant makes its way to headphones
Bose announced their latest noise cancelling headphones, the QC 35 II. The highlight of the headphone is Google Assistant.
How does the Bose QC 35 II work?
According to Google, you set them up as usual via Bluetooth. You then follow some instructions built into the Google Assistant app on either an Android phone (running Marshmallow or above) or an iPhone.
Once that is done, you’ll hold down the new button that’s on the right ear cup to trigger the Google Assistant. Google says that it can do most things the Assistant can do on your phone. These include the ability to read messages, play music or news, and of course, call people. However, the Assistant has slightly different capabilities in every place it appears. Hence it may be that you can’t do everything with the headphones that you can do with, say, a Google Home.
Aside from that new button on the QC35 II, nothing has changed, Bose says. The price is still $350. The headphone sounds the same as its predecessor. It has the same noise cancelling and battery performance (up to 20 hours). The new headphones have the same controls on the right ear cup — audio volume and the multi-function button for incoming calls and accessing Google Assistant.
The QC35 II’s advanced microphone system “picks up voices with remarkable accuracy, so commands are understood,” Bose says. And the headphone’s noise cancellation “dramatically reduces sound around you”. This helps make the Google Assistant experience more personal and immersive.
The Bose QC35 II is available now in black and silver. Bose notes that the QC35 II’s Action button will access the Google Assistant only in markets where Google Assistant is available. In other markets, the Action button will control noise settings only and will not have the Google Assistant option on.
