The keyword here is: integration
I am sitting in a Starbucks, listening to 80’s metal via my Bluetooth-enabled headphones while writing this article, and it suddenly occurs to me: I’m done with wired headphones for good.
No longer do I have to fret about wires getting twisting themselves into a mesh of knots and no longer would I get a mini heart attack when I get up from my desk and drag my computer onto the floor with my headphones still attached.
Twitter-backed headphone startup Muzik has developed a product that, I believe, embodies the future of headphone technology – and certainly strikes a chord with Singapore’s music fans.
The Muzik One features programmable hot keys on its headphones, allowing the user to control Spotify’s features using the keys while connected to the Muzik One app (currently only available on iOS).
And this goes beyond the usual pause/play/next or previous song controls.
With just one tap, users can copy a Spotify playlist or song and share it on social media — Facebook and Twitter. Users can also tap the hot keys to follow an artist, play a song on the playlist, or save a song on the playlist or library.
In addition, the Muzik One comes with dual microphones so users can issue voice commands to Siri and make phone calls.
Beyond that, the US$299 headphone packs decent technical specs: its Bluetooth has a range of 50 ft (15.30 metres) and a battery life of 30 hours.
Also Read: Singapore’s music collaboration platform BandLab acquires San Francisco design company
So why would this product generate excitement in Singapore?
Well, Singaporeans are big consumers of music streaming services. Two in five Singaporeans with Internet access use Spotify, and they have collectively streamed over 11.4 billion minutes of Spotify content since its launch back in 2013.
Additionally, Singtel rolled out its data-free Spotify add-on plans, meaning the telco’s subscribers can stream its content without incurring any data usage – at the same cost of subscribing for a regular Spotify plan.
And despite the furore of Apple’s decision to kill off the headphone jack in the iPhone 7 — which I believe was based on extensive market research and certainly not on a whim — Singaporeans have been clamouring to lay its hands on the iPhone 7.
The combination of the above two factors means that more Singaporeans will be consuming music via Spotify and through wireless Bluetooth headphones.
So while Muzik One is currently only available on Amazon and Muzik’s website, it may only be a matter of time before we see it being stocked in Singapore’s retailers.
—
Image Credit: Muzik
The post Why Muzik’s headphone may strike a chord with Singaporeans appeared first on e27.