Microsoft's Sleek Surface Bluetooth Headphones Feature 8 Microphones And Cortana Integration

This is shaping up to be a busy month for Microsoft. The company has started pushing out its October 2018 Update for Windows 10, and just the other day, it held an event to announce a spattering of Surface products, including the Surface Laptop 2, Surface Studio 2, and Surface Pro 6 with 8th generation Intel Core processors inside. That's not all, though. Microsoft is also releasing a set of Bluetooth headphones with Cortana integration.

The new Surface Headphones appear to take aim at the premium headphone space, though we'll have to wait for Microsoft to announce pricing to know what it's going up against. What we do know, however, is that Microsoft is promising a "smarter way to listen" with "spectacular" sound and a few interesting features.

Sleek and stylish on the outside, the Surface Headphones sport 40mm "free edge" drivers on the inside, and deliver up to 115 dB. There is a USB-C connector to charge the headphones—Microsoft says a full charge takes less than 2 hours, with battery life checking in at 15 hours—and a 3.5mm audio jack that flies in the face of recent assassination attempts against the popular standard.

This is all about Bluetooth connectivity, though, and that's what the Surface Headphones embrace. The headphones also offer hands-free Cortana integration, with Microsoft claiming accurate speech recognition from its "innovative microphone technology." This consist of two beamforming mics on each earcup, and eight microphones in total.

Noise cancellation is part of the package too, and users can adjust the intensity by turning a dial on the one of the earcups. What's also neat is that the headphones automatically pause and play music when taking them on and off.

"We built Surface Headphones to complete the Surface experience. To help you get into your flow, wherever you are. Whether you’re in an open work space, a café or on the go, Surface Headphones help tune out or tune in wherever you are," Microsoft says.

The Surface Headphones will be available in the US and UK in time for the holidays, with pricing information to be revealed at a later date.