“Hey Siri — how do I use my phone without getting it out of my pocket?”
One possible answer to that question is the new Jabra Elite 25e headphone. Launched on Thursday at IFA in Berlin, the in-ear stereo earbuds and hands-free phone mic attach to a collar you wear around your neck while your phone stays in your pocket. And as well as making calls and listening to music, you can tap a special button to talk to either Siri if you have an iPhone, or Google Now if you have an Android phone stashed in your jeans.
The Elite 25e comes in black and is available around the world. It’s out in October, on sale for £70 in the US and $80 in the US.
The new headphones follow the current Jabra Elite Sport ($249.99 at Amazon.com), excellent wireless earbuds that give Apple’s AirPods ($249.00 at Amazon Marketplace) a run for their money in comfort and battery life. Compared to the discreet, completely wire-free Elite Sport earbuds the Elite 25e’s collar looks a bit dorky, but gives you the option to make hands-free phone calls.
The Jabra Elite 25e for music, hands-free calls and chatting to voice assistants Siri or Google Now.
JabraThe headphones ($149.95 at Amazon Marketplace) are attached to a neckband with bendy bits that flex so you can fit it around your neck. The whole setup is water-resistant and the mic is protected from the wind so you can both listen to music and make calls while out and about or while sweating in the gym.
Jabra claims you’ll get a decent 18 hours of battery life out of the 25e from a single charge, which is a day of heavy use or even longer if you only listen for short periods.
