Anker earbuds and headphones may not have the premium status of Apple, Bose and Sony, but the brand's value-priced products have a loyal following. Anker aficionados have been waiting for the company to release the Pro version of its $100 Soundcore Liberty 5 earbuds.
According to NotebookCheck, via leaker AnkerInsider, whose X account appears suspended, the release is near. Two versions of Anker's new flagship earbuds are due to arrive in the coming months: The Liberty 5 Pro and Liberty 5 Pro Max. Both will feature a new AI chip called the Anker Thus to power the buds.
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The new models don't look anything like the current Liberty 5 buds, which have a traditional stem design. Both new Pro models will feature upgraded noise canceling (Anker's new Adaptive ANC 4.0), Bluetooth 6.1, an IP55 dust- and water-resistant rating, Dolby Atmos spatial audio, Bluetooth multipoint and an AI-powered audio upscaling feature.
While both the Liberty 5 Pro and Liberty Pro Max have a touchscreen built into their cases, the Max's case also doubles as a voice recorder with built-in microphones. The recorder will reportedly be able to recognize your voice thanks to voiceprint recognition.
Anker has apparently developed its own AI chip for its flagship earbuds.
Screenshot by David Carnoy/CNETThe upcoming buds are expected to be officially announced in late May, with the Liberty 5 Pro to be priced at $170, and the Liberty 5 Pro Max retailing for $230 (the Max already have a shell of listing on Best Buy that notes the voice recorder). Both have a battery life of around 6.5 hours with noise cancellation turned on.
AI voice recorders have been proliferating in recent months (you might have seen an ad for one on Facebook or Instagram). Anker is shipping its Soundcore Work coin-sized wearable Al note take/voice recorder for $129 with a $39-off coupon code. Presumably, some of the same technology found in the wearable recorder will make its way over to the Liberty 5 Pro Max.
The Liberty 5 Pro Max won't be the first pair of earbuds to have a microphone in their case. Nothing's Ear (3) flagship earbuds have a Super Mic in their case, which had me talking to my hand when making calls. It's a clear sign that as earbud performance plateaus, brands are getting creative with extra features to help their products stand out from the pack.
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Talking to the Nothing Ear (3) case while making a call in the streets of New York. More earbuds cases appear set to have built-in microphones.
David Carnoy/CNET