Glow-in-the-dark paint has all kinds of uses. It can make watch faces and camera markings easier to see at night, it can illuminate bike lane markings, or it can simply make your multimillion-dollar hypercar even harder to ignore. But Beats by Dr. Dre is using the material to create wireless headphones that might offer some safety benefits. Today, the company announced limited-edition, $200 glow-in-the-dark Powerbeats created in collaboration with Japanese fashion brand Ambush.
It’s the first time Beats has created a glow-in-the-dark product, and it’s the first time it has worked with Ambush, a brand that is probably best known for its line of comic-book-inspired “Pow!” necklaces.
“I live in the middle of Shibuya [Japan] and I am always inspired by how the city just glows at night time,” said Yoon Ahn, the co-founder and creative director for Ambush. “I thought it would be really cool to design a product that could capture that same city energy when you’re outside late at night listening to music.”
With the exception of the glowing paint job, the presence of the Ambush logo, and an included co-branded ripstop pouch, there’s nothing that differentiates these Powerbeats from the company’s normal $150 Powerbeats 4 headphones. The extra $50 is pretty much for bragging rights.
They feature 15-hour battery life, Apple’s H1 wireless chip for quick and easy pairing with Apple devices and hands-free Siri, and IPX4 water-resistance.
The phosphorescent material in the product’s paint is similar to many other glow-in-the-dark products. To charge it up, you expose it to a light source, whether natural or synthetic. Depending on how bright the light and how long the exposure, the Powerbeats will emit some of that light back in the form of a gentle greenish glow.
Beats wouldn’t offer a concrete number for just how long the glowing effect will last, but it’s, ahem, safe to say that the extra visibility it offers runners and other folks who like to get outside after the sun goes down will help increase safety for as long as it continues to glow.
The limited-edition Powerbeats will be available starting on November 18, at Apple.com, Dover Street Market, select Nordstrom stores, and Nordstrom.com.
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