The recent leak of Fairphone's Fairbuds XL noise-canceling headphones has the tech world buzzing with speculation. The images of the headphones reveal modern and sustainable design principles, with black and green color options, speckled recycled plastic finishes, foam padding, and a foldable headband.
Potential of the Fairbuds XL: Sustainable and Repairable Headphones with Extended Support
According to the story by The Verge, the headphones, likely priced around $275, also feature a USB-C port but no headphone jack, which aligns with Fairphone's modernized Fairphone 4. At first glance, the lack of a headphone jack on the Fairbuds XL is somewhat disappointing.
But considering it's 2023, and most tech companies have long since abandoned the headphone jack, this move is unsurprising. More importantly, the Fairbuds XL could be the answer to sustainable and repairable headphones with extended support.
The Fairbuds XL may not be out yet, but it is nice to see Fairphone following through with its mission to produce ethically-made phones and other products.
The Elegantly-Designed Fairbuds XL With Recycled Plastic Shells and Foam Padding
The company already sells wireless earbuds - although they aren't repairable - built with recycled plastic, and now it looks like it's expanding its product lineup with the Fairbuds XL. Of course, a lot of questions remain about the headphones.
Fans of sustainable and repairable consumer tech have been particularly excited about the promise of the Fairbuds, as these over-ear headphones appear to offer recycled plastic shells and cushy padding.
The design of the Fairbuds XL appears to be fairly straightforward: each ear cup has a speckled recycled plastic finish and foam padding for extra comfort. On one side of the headphones, buyers will find a button and a dial or mini joystick, which could be used to control the volume.
No Headphone Jack: Buyers Wait to See if Decision Affects Sound Quality
While there is a USB-C port, the Fairbuds, unfortunately, don't come with a headphone jack. This isn't surprising, given that the Fairphone 4 smartphone also came without a headphone jack, with images spotted on Android Police.
Buyers will have to wait and see if this decision affects sound quality. WinFuture has estimated that the Fairbuds XL will cost around €249 ($275). Though this isn't an official price yet, this would make the Fairbuds slightly less expensive than a similarly speckled pair of Apple AirPods Max, which cost $549.
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The Promise of Fairbuds XL: An Eco-Friendly Option in a Crowded Space
People hoping the Fairbuds XL is a truly repairable consumer product will have to wait until more details (and likely a teardown video) come out on the headphones. While Apple's AirPods Max is incredibly repairable, fans of Fairphone are hoping for something with an even easier take-apart mechanism.
All that being said, it will be interesting to see how these headphones will compete in an increasingly crowded space of noise-canceling headphones and how sustainable they turn out to be. With eco-friendly materials and recycled plastics, the Fairbuds XL could be the future of headphones.
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