Urbanista brings solar-powered headphone tech to true wireless earbuds

Image: Urbanista

A pair of solar-powered true wireless earbuds called the Phoenix will be the follow up to Urbanista's solar-powered over- ear headphones. Phoenix uses Exeger's Powerfoyle solar panels to extend their battery life with the help of the sun's rays. Unlike the Los Angeles headphones that have solar panels built into the headband, the panels aren't included on the Phoenix earbuds They are built into the case.

It makes sense to shift the solar-charging tech to the charging case since it's small. Users will have to try to keep the solar panels pointed at the sun. The best place to pick up the sun's rays is on top of your head, but most people keep their earbuds' charging case in their pocket or bag while they listen.

Image: Urbanista

The Phoenix can get 8 hours of video from the buds. This should increase by an hour for every hour spent in direct sunlight if you combine the charging case with it. The charging status of the Phoenix can be tracked from Urbanista's companion app, which also offers the option of adjusting the earbuds, or customizing its touch controls.

Outside of the solar charging, other more traditional earbuds features include IPX4 water resistance (which should mean they'll deal with sweat but not a heavy downpour), support forBluetooth 5.2, and aUSB-C charging port to top up their power when they eventually run dry. The Phoenix earbuds support active noise cancellation, have a transparency mode for hearing the world around you, and can connect to two devices at the same time. Black and pink are the available colors.

Image: Urbanista

It is unclear if the Phoenix are the first solar-powered earbuds ever. A company called Pearl Audio previously announced an Indiegogo campaign to fund a similar pair of earbuds, but it doesn't seem like they ever shipped. The campaign was last updated in November of last year, and as of this writing it has been suspended and filled with comments from backers asking for refunds.

Urbanista released a pair of solar-powered headphones last year. The release of the Phoenix won't happen until the fourth quarter of 2022. When they are released, you should be able to find them at a price of 149 dollars.