Sony Puts AI in Your Ear with New Wave of Xperia Devices
- Wednesday, February 24th, 2016
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Sony has unveiled the Xperia Ear, a next generation wireless earpiece that connects to a host application on Android phones, providing information and controlling your mobile using a natural language interface and artificial intelligence.
The small earpiece fits comfortably in your ear and communicates with your phone via Bluetooth or NFC. It includes a noise-cancelling setting to ensure that information comes through loud and clear, and has a single button, in addition to its voice control features.
The Ear is designed to relay useful information throughout the day, including keeping you up to date with your schedule, as well as enabling you to perform internet searches, make and receive calls and even dictate messages, all hands-free thanks to Sonys voice technology.
The AI enables the device and associated app to make contextual decisions, including giving you all the relevant weather and news when you first activate it in the morning, and can even provide you with step-by-step navigation instructions.
I tried out the Xperia Ear at Sonys stand at MWC, and the earpiece is a comfortable fit with an elegant design, and the natural language commands work smoothly. Whether it can overcome the publics general resistance to Bluetooth headsets remains to be seen, but it certainly feels like a next step in terms of mobile voice command.
The Ear will roll out this summer, and includes an innovative case that doubles as a portable charger, enabling the device to run all day between charges from the mains. It forms part of a new wave of Xperia devices from Sony, including the X series of smartphones and an in-car Bluetooth commander that also incorporates the firms voice command technology.