JBL has started a crowdfunding for a very new headset. The company, which has gained fame with its products in the sound industry, is working on headphones with solar panels that should allow unlimited battery life in the right conditions.
These are the so-called Reflect Eternal headphones, which can currently be ordered through IndieGoGo for an amount of € 89. The product is expected to be launched from October 2020.
Ambitious
On the page of the crowd funding campaign, JBL makes quite ambitious claims about the battery life of the headphones. The company says that wearing headphones in the open air for only 2.5 hours a day is enough to enjoy “virtually unlimited” music.
To achieve this, however, it seems that you have to wear the headphones on a relatively sunny day. Apparently the ‘sweet spot’ has a lux illuminance of at least 50,000. After briefly but powerfully consulting Wikipedia, it appears that direct sunlight is needed for this.
JBL also claims that the headphones can charge themselves through indoor lighting. Charging is then a lot slower.
Support
In addition to charging with solar energy, the Reflect Eternals works just like any other wireless headset. It comes with support for both Google Assistant and Alexa. In addition, the headphones have external microphones, so that you can continue to hear what is happening around you. If there is insufficient sunlight, the device also simply has the traditional USB charging option.