One of the better pairs of noise cancelling headphones we saw last year is getting an update already, but you might not need it unless you own a phone of the Android persuasion.
If you own an iPhone or other Apple product leading with the “i” moniker, there’s a good chance you’ve had good luck when it comes to headphones with remotes on the cable. Generally, the remotes that come with headphones are made for Apple’s proprietary connection known as “MFi” which translates into “Made for iPhone/iPod/iPad” and allows the headphone jack to send through extra commands, such as volume up, volume down, and skipping tracks.
But if you own the same pair of headphones and you plug them into an Android or Windows product, you’re probably not having the same experience.
Rather, on these devices, the only button that probably works for you is the middle button, with this working as pause and play, with a double click maybe letting you fast forward a track.
That’s one of the downsides with MFi cables, because the remotes working in the MFi standard are only going to work properly for Apple devices.
Fortunately, companies are beginning to wake up to the idea of Android headphones, and Bose is one such company.
A little over six months since it launched the latest edition of the QuietComfort over-the-ear noise cancelling headphones, the QC25i, Bose is releasing a new pair that does away with the “i” moniker and works with more than just the iPhone or iPad, made for Samsung and Sony and HTC and whatnot. Specifically, it works with Android products.
They’re called the QuietComfort 25 headphones, and from what we understand, they are identical to what we checked out when we reviewed the headphones last year, albeit with a different cable, allowing Android devices (and possibly Windows products, too) to control the music using a remote made for these devices.
Beyond that cable (and based on what we’re reading), the QuietComfort 25 headphones still offer up to 35 hours of life on a single AAA battery, and will work without the battery, with headphones that are portable and will fit and fold into a small supplied carrying case.
But that cable is what will make them different, extending support beyond simple playback to devices that aren’t made by Apple.
“For over three decades, our engineers have woken up every day trying to make a better headphone,” said Sean Garrett, Vice President of the Boise Noise Reduction Technology Group.
“The QC25 headphones are a great example of that commitment.”
Pricing for the Bose QC25 headphones comes in exactly where the current Bose QC25i headphones sit, with a recommended retail price of $399 in Australia and an availability of June at Bose authorised resellers.
We’re checking to see if Bose will be making its Android-friendly cable available for sale outside the QC25 headphones, because if you have already grabbed a pair of the QC25i headphones and you’re trying to make them work with Android phones, you shouldn’t have to fork out another $400 just for the privilege of having a working cable.
That said, at the moment we haven’t heard of that will be offered, but we’ll let you know when we do.
