The year 2024 has been another very good one for wireless earbuds. We\u2019ve reached a point where every tech giant is firing on all cylinders. Apple\u2019s AirPods Pro<\/a>, Samsung\u2019s Galaxy Buds 3 Pro<\/a>, and Google\u2019s Pixel Buds Pro 2<\/a> are each fantastic in their own right and fairly comparable in the features they offer. Are there advantages depending on which you pick? Sure. Samsung\u2019s new voice controls are super convenient. Google wins out on comfort. And Apple\u2019s new hearing health features<\/a> really level up what we expect from consumer earbuds. But in terms of everyday performance, they\u2019re all within spitting distance of each other.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n As for over-ear headphones, Sonos introduced its long-rumored Ace headphones<\/a> this year. Their marquee trick, TV Audio Swap<\/a>, is the ability to receive audio from a Sonos soundbar for private listening \u2014 a good example of a brand trying to muster a unique selling point in a competitive market, while Apple, Samsung, and Google are laser-focused on interplay within their own respective ecosystems. (Of course, Sonos\u2019 headphones were all but forgotten in the avalanche of controversy<\/a> brought on by the company\u2019s overhauled mobile app.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n But this year has reinforced that you don\u2019t need to spend big to find great value. Apple brought active noise cancellation to its less expensive AirPods 4<\/a>. With the Nothing Ear and budget-priced Ear (a), Nothing proved yet again that it can compete<\/a> with long-established earbud makers \u2014 and outdesign many of them. Style-wise, it\u2019s hard to choose between the flashy yellow of the Ear (a) or Beats\u2019 candy red Solo Buds<\/a>, but Nothing gives you more for your money than Apple\u2019s brand.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 2024 also saw Jabra make an exit from the consumer earbuds market<\/a>. The company spent years producing worthy alternatives to the AirPods and other products back during the early waves of true wireless earbuds, but Jabra lost its momentum and failed to meaningfully stand out with its more recent Elite earbuds. The Elite 10 Gen 2<\/a> are excellent by all accounts but hard to recommend when they represent the end of the line.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n As for where the category is headed, earbuds are quickly evolving into devices with a purpose that extends well beyond audio consumption. Apple\u2019s AirPods Pro 2 now offer a powerful trifecta of hearing health features: you can wear them as hearing protection, take a test to gauge your own hearing loss, or use the earbuds as clinical-grade over-the-counter hearing aids. I\u2019d expect we\u2019ll see other industry heavyweights like Sony, Samsung, and Google bring similar capabilities to their own future buds \u2014 perhaps as soon as next year.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Fitness tracking is another area where we\u2019ll continue to see earbuds offer new advantages. Heart rate tracking is becoming relatively common<\/a>, and the next-generation Powerbeats Pro, due early in 2025<\/a>, are rumored to include the useful feature.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n As for the new year, Sony\u2019s long-popular 1000X series<\/a> is due for a refresh. The 1000XM6 earbuds (and headphones) seem like a lock for 2025. I think the same is true of the next AirPods Pro; Apple will reportedly release a redesigned third-gen pair sometime next year. On the other hand, with Samsung and Google having both released new models in the last six months, I wouldn\u2019t expect much from them in the near future.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n For you audiophiles out there, 2025 is likely to see the introduction of more earbuds that can wirelessly stream lossless audio as Qualcomm\u2019s most advanced chips<\/a> start to proliferate across new products from various brands \u2014 potentially including Sennheiser, Bose, and others. As for other features, I\u2019m curious to what extent earbud makers will tap into AI chatbots. Google\u2019s Pixel Buds Pro make it possible to carry on entire conversations with Gemini Live. Will other brands look to provide a similar experience with different AI platforms?\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The new year is certain to get off to a busy start right out of the gate, with headphones and earbuds from dozens of brands expected at CES 2025. Hopefully there\u2019ll be some genuine surprises among the bunch.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n