You may have heard the rumors that the iPhone 7 will likely not have a headphone jack. “How will I ever listen to my music?!” I hear you ask. With Bluetooth headphones, of course. Or, if you want to keep things ultra portable, there’s the Apollo 7 Bluetooth earbuds by Erato.
Like other fully wireless earbuds cropping up these days, the Apollo 7 connect to your device over Bluetooth, allowing not only for the elimination of those annoying cords, but also for the ultimate portability.
“Most true wireless products are bulky and heavy, and keeping a connection is difficult when there isn’t a clear path between the phone and the headphones …” Johnson Jeng, a spokesperson for Erato, said in an email to Digital Trends. “Through extensive research, development and acquisitions of the most advanced technology, Apollo 7 eliminates this fundamental issue, placing Erato Audio at the forefront of the category.”
The earbuds may look small, but there’s a ton of tech inside of them. The drivers inside the earbuds are a relatively small 5.8mm, so don’t expect pounding bass. They do, however, have a 20Hz-20kHz sensitivity, which is the standard range for headphones, and is the range of human hearing.
Erato follows the mold of other fully wireless earbuds on the market in that the Apollo 7 come with a charging case — handy considering the three hour battery life of the earbuds. Put the earbuds in their case, and assuming the case itself is charged up, it will add two additional charges, for a total of 9 hours.
The earbuds also include a microphone, allowing you to talk hands-free, whether it be to your friends or to your digital assistant of choice. It also has a button for basic music control and interaction with Google Now or Siri.
“Apollo 7 is the most compact, waterproof true wireless earbud with a built-in microphone,” Jeng said. “This mic is omnidirectional so you’ll have a crisp, hands-free solution for taking calls on-the-go.”
As mentioned the earbuds are waterproof, and while you probably wouldn’t want to go swimming with them, if you happen to drop them in a puddle or go running in the rain you should be fine. Erato even says that you can give the earbuds a quick rinse off in water and then pat them dry.
One of the main things that the Apollo 7 has going for it is its design: it’s sleek, slender, and out of the way. In fact, it was designed by one of the original designers of the first Beats prototype, Mike Klasco.
It’s important to note that these aren’t the first wireless earbuds on the market — the likes of Bragi and Earin both had successful Kickstarter campaigns for their own wireless earbuds.
Like those other options, the Apollo 7 is a pricey investment. Through the Kickstarter campaign you can get the earbuds for a cool $289, with a limited number of early bird specials available for $249. After the Kickstarter campaign, the Apollo 7 earbuds will cost $299. A lot of money, to be sure, but perhaps worth the investment for someone looking for a truly portable, high-tech listening experience.
Updated 4-3-2016 at 11:45 p.m. PST: This piece was updated to include battery life specs and comparison to other earbuds in the genre.
