Shokz has making Bluetooth bone conduction headsets for years, including a personal favorite: the OpenRun Pro. However, you may have overlooked one of company’s more niche variants. In 2019 the company launched a model called Xtrainerz, a bone conduction headset with an IP68 waterproof rating, 4GB of onboard storage and no Bluetooth. This was pitched as an all around training headset with a focus on swimmers. Recently it was renamed OpenSwim, but today at CES 2024 in Las Vegas the company has announced its improved successor, the OpenSwim Pro waterproof headphones.
As with many products being announced at CES this year, the OpenSwim Pro supports Bluetooth 5.3. The big change is that it includes Bluetooth at all, making it a more useful all-around headset and less specifically targeted to swimming or triathlon use. The OpenSwim Pro also has 32GB of onboard storage, which is a healthy bump from the previous 4GB limit.
You get nine hours of battery life (one extra hour from the previous gen) and we’re told that it offers fast charging, although those details haven’t been provided yet. If it matches up to other Shokz models, that would be 1.5 hours with just five minutes of charging, which I’ve found immensely useful. If you’re actively using these while swimming, you can only be submerged for two hours without tempting the limits of its IP68 waterproof rating.
The sound quality for this model should be similar to the OpenRun model, with 8th-gen bone conduction tech. The need for a more enclosed design means it can’t quite match the slightly bassier output of the OpenRun Pro, which uses venting to enhance the low end. This model does have microphones, however, which is a new addition for the OpenSwim series. It certainly seems to be a necessary feature for a Bluetooth headset, so it’s a welcome addition.
The Shokz OpenSwim Pro will be available later in the year, although pricing and a specific launch date have yet to be determined. Those interested in receiving updates can sign up on the Shokz website.
We’re reporting live from CES 2024 in Las Vegas from January 6-12. Keep up with all the latest news from the show here.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/shokz-debuts-its-openswim-pro-bone-conduction-waterproof-headphones-at-ces-2024-230036513.html?src=rss
