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Bose announces new QuietComfort Ultra earbuds with improved AI-powered ANC

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Plus, true wireless charging is finally here.

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds in a new pink color.
(Image credit: Bose)

What you need to know

  • Bose is updating its popular QuietComfort Ultra earbuds with improved ANC, true wireless charging, and better call quality.
  • The second-generation Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds will launch at the $299 price point.
  • The company is also adding a Bose SoundLink Plus Portable speaker and updating the Bose SoundLink Micro.

Bose is refreshing its consumer audio lineup with a second-generation model of the popular QuietComfort Ultra earbuds and two new portable speakers. The original Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds were a hit, and the company is improving on that initial success by adding wireless charging, improved ANC, and more at a $299 price point. An all-new portable speaker, the SoundLink Plus Portable, is coming alongside a second-generation SoundLink Micro speaker as well.

Of course, AI is at the heart of the QuietComfort Ultra earbuds upgrades. There are new AI algorithms being used to identify and cancel out bursts of noise when active noise-canceling is enabled. This builds upon Bose's existing ActiveSense ANC mode, and coincides with better call quality and voice recognition, according to the company.

The earbuds include a tweaked design and a bright colorway, Deep Plum, that joins Black and White Smoke. A clever trick Bose is introducing with the second-gen QuietComfort Ultra earbuds is the earwax guard, which is built into the earbuds to prevent earwax buildup.

The second-generation QuietComfort Ultra earbuds now feature wireless charging and will last for a total of six hours with ANC enabled. This solves a strange quirk with the first-generation model, which needed a separate sleeve to charge wirelessly. Now, it's all built into the charging case.

The Bose SoundLink Plus in blue against a gradient blue background.

(Image credit: Bose)

Alongside the upcoming second-gen QuietComfort Ultra earbuds are two new wireless speakers. The SoundLink Plus Portable is a midsize portable speaker with IP67 waterproofing and 20-hour battery life, priced at $269. It's sure to be a hip option with bright and vibrant colorways including Citrus Yellow. Pre-orders are available starting now.

There's also a new model of the Bose SoundLink Micro speaker, which is a more compact offering. It has USB-C charging, a 12-hour battery life, and will launch in the coming months for $129 in blue or black colorways.

The surprise audio refresh from Bose means that some of our favorite wireless audio products are getting better just in time for summer.

Brady Snyder
Brady Snyder
Contributor

Brady is a tech journalist for Android Central, with a focus on news, phones, tablets, audio, wearables, and software. He has spent the last three years reporting and commenting on all things related to consumer technology for various publications. Brady graduated from St. John's University with a bachelor's degree in journalism. His work has been published in XDA, Android Police, Tech Advisor, iMore, Screen Rant, and Android Headlines. When he isn't experimenting with the latest tech, you can find Brady running or watching Big East basketball.

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