New Adidas RPT-02 SOL wireless headphones are solar powered

Date:
Tue, 16 Aug 2022 13:19:44 +0000

Description:
Sportswear companys new on-ear headphones use light sources to charge up

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Adidas have unveiled a new set of wireless headphones that promise to keep running when your workout stops, with their new RPT-02 SOL on-ears boasting self-charging tech.

The headphones clevely make use of an Exeger Powerfoyle solar panel thats built into the headband. This absorbs light of any kind, be it natural or artificial, meaning you can charge up the battery both indoors and outdoors without needing to plug the headphones into a wall socket.

Further enhancing their sustainability credentials, the new Adidas cans are made using recycled plastics and polyester, while theyre also ready for most outdoor conditions thanks to their IPX4-rated splash resistance.

You can count on up to 80 hours of stored playtime from the built-in battery. If you're presumably living in a cave and cant charge the headphones by
normal means, the RPT-02 SOL can also be juiced up via a USB Type-C cable.

While the RPT-02 SOLs come in a more rugged, ready-for-action form factor, it's not the first time weve seen a set of cans use this sort of renewable energy tech.

Exeger previously provided the same Powerfoyle light source panels to fellow Swedish brand Urbinista for their solar-powered Urbanista Los Angeles headphones late last year, which unlike Adidas latest effort, feature active noise cancellation.

Urbinista has since gone on to also unveil a pair of true wireless earbuds that use a solar-powered charging case that also feature a similar panel .

While Adidas havent yet revealed how much light is required to power their
new headphones, an hour of direct sunlight to the Urbanista Los Angeles was enough to keep them running for three hours of playback.

The Adidas RPT-02 Sol are priced at 199.95 (about $240, AU$344), and are set to go on sale on 23rd August. (Image credit: Adidas) Analysis: New Adidas
cans could signal a new era for solar-powered tech

Those of us that are old enough to consider ourselves children of the 80s
will likely remember Casios HS-8 a pocket calculator that almost magically didnt need batteries thanks to its small solar panels.

The HS-8 offered a window into a possible future without discarded Duracells or unwieldy power supplies. Things, of course, didnt quite pan out like that.

Thankfully there have been signs that solar power is back on the agenda once more with tech firms.

Samsung has notably featured light source panels in its latest high-end TV remotes, with the South Korean firm also widely rumored to be developing a sun-powered smart watch, while these latest headphones from Adidas show its not just low-powered devices that can utilize the tech.

The success of the RPT-02 SOLs will of course depend on how good they sound, but if their output can match their sustainability credentials, Adidas are surely onto a winner.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/new-adidas-rpt-02-sol-wireless-headphones-are-s olar-powered/


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