Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Audio / Video

‘Hey Skullcandy’ is the newest hands-free voice assistant

Simon Cohen
By

Skullcandy has just taken the wraps off two new models of true wireless earbuds, the $100 Grind Fuel and the $80 Push Active. But what makes these earbuds different from Skullcandy’s previous models is the inclusion of the company’s new software, called SkullIQ. This gives you a hands-free voice assistant that’s triggered by saying, “Hey Skullcandy,” and it works on both iOS and Android platforms. It also includes the ability to trigger certain smartphone features directly from the earbuds’ control buttons, as well as launch Spotify with your voice.

Most true wireless earbuds give you the ability to speak to your phone’s native assistant, whether that’s Siri or Google Assistant. Some models add the ability to speak to Amazon’s Alexa, too. Only a handful, like Sony’s $280 WF-1000XM4 and JBL’s $200 Tour Pro+, let you access these voice assistants hands-free. This makes Skullcandy’s new SkullIQ-enabled true wireless earbuds the most affordable models to offer this kind of technology.

Skullcandy Grind Fuel true wireless earbuds with SkullIQ technology.
Skullcandy

It’s worth noting that “Hey Skullcandy” is not a full substitute for using Siri, Google Assistant, or Amazon Alexa. It can’t, for instance, answer questions like “how long does it take to hard-boil an egg,” or let you set reminders. That’s because there’s no cloud component to SkullIQ — all of the smarts are contained on the earbuds themselves, which work in tandem over Bluetooth with the SkullIQ app on your phone. But this is also SkullIQ’s big advantage over Apple, Google, and Amazon’s tech: It works even if you have no data connection at all, something that could easily happen if you belong to Skullcandy’s target community of mountain bikers, extreme skiers, and anyone else whose activities routinely take them beyond the reach of the nearest cell tower.

Recommended Videos

SkullIQ enables control over the most commonly used earbud features, like play/pause, track skipping, volume, and call answer/ignore/end. It also lets you control some actions that are specific to these earbuds, like engaging Skullcandy’s StayAware (transparency) mode or the new Spotify Tap feature. For the latter, just say: “Hey Skullcandy, Spotify.” I’ve been spending time with an early review model of the Grind Fuel, and the voice commands work really well — just as reliably as using the Google Pixel Buds or Apple’s AirPods Pro. If you have access to data and would prefer to use your phone’s built-in assistant, you can do that, too. Simply say, “Hey Skullcandy, Assistant,” and the SkullIQ system will dutifully trigger your regular voice A.I. so you can bark your command.

But Skullcandy’s ambitions go beyond just voice control. The SkullIQ app lets you configure the Grind Fuel or Push Active’s buttons to trigger phone functions, like taking a photo. Theoretically, it could do the same thing with a whole host of other phone functions, but manufacturers like Apple, Google, etc., would first have to provide third-party access to them.

Related

Another SkullIQ feature is called Share Audio. Similar to Apple’s ability to let two H1-chip-enabled earbuds or headphone owners connect to the same iPhone for tandem listening, any two Skullcandy SkullIQ devices can listen to the same audio source in sync.

The Grind Fuel come with wireless charging, nine hours of battery life on a charge, and a total of 40 hours when you include the charging case’s capacity. They have an IP55 rating for water and dust resistance, as well as built-in Tile tracking for when your earbuds inevitably go missing.

The Push Active, with their built-in earhooks, are meant for the most demanding activities. They have a longer battery life (10 hours per charge, 44 hours total), but lack the wireless charging feature of the Grind Fuel. They get the same IP55 dust and water resistance rating, as well as the Tile tracking feature.

Both models are available starting today at Skullcandy.com and various major retailers.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Simon Cohen
Simon Cohen
Contributing Editor, A/V
Simon Cohen covers a variety of consumer technologies, but has a special interest in audio and video products, like spatial…
Beats packs ANC and hands-free Siri into its tiny $150 Studio Buds
White beats studio buds with case against black background

Beats by Dre has announced its new Studio Buds, a powerful pair of true wireless earbuds that are set to drop just in time for the start of summer. As the name suggests, Beats wants to market these buds as the sort of headphones that both music industry professionals and laypeople will love -- so let's take a closer look.

The design of the Studio Buds is simple and striking, with a sleek, minimalist exterior that encases a 8.2mm, central-piston-driven, dual-element diaphragm driver. That's a mouthful, we know, but the upshot is that this is a powerful driver that Beats says will provide sharp, striking sound at both high- and low-range frequencies. It was also purpose-built for active noise cancellation (ANC). At the touch of a button, these buds can block out ambient noise (ANC), or allow it in so that you can hear everything going on around you (Transparency Mode).

Read more
Google Pixel Buds A-Series hands-on review: Same buds, way better price
Google Pixel Buds A-Series

When Google launched its second-gen Pixel Buds in 2020, it created something of a conundrum for buyers of true wireless earbuds. On the one hand, their tiny size, wireless charging, comfortable fit, and excellent integration with Android and Google Assistant made them an attractive choice. But on the other hand, for the price ($179), it felt like Google had left out some important features, like active noise cancellation (ANC), transparency (ambient sound), and the ability to use their standout skills with Apple’s iOS devices.

One year later, those choices put the Pixel Buds into an even deeper corner as new products like the $199 JBL Tour Pro+, $120 Amazon Echo Buds 2, $95 1More ComfoBuds Pro, and $130 Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro have all trotted out great sound, ANC, and transparency.

Read more
Signia Active are true wireless earbuds that also enhance your hearing
signia active earbuds hearing aid news case

The Signia Active may look like regular true wireless earbuds, but they’re actually Bluetooth connected ‘buds made to enhance hearing, and designed to encourage people who would normally not want to wear a more traditional hearing aid to improve the quality of their life. The design isn’t just for show either, as they really do function like true wireless earbuds too.

Signia describes the hearing aid functionality as, “giving the wearer superior speech understanding in noisy and challenging environments,” so the Active earbuds are for use in noisy environments where some kind of hearing enhancement would help. It makes sense, as the wireless earbud design is ideal for putting in when you need them, rather than wearing all of the time.

Read more