Next-gen Microsoft Surface Headphones spotted, features revealed

The listing confirms a couple of specifications right away. First is the inclusion of Bluetooth v5.0 and the second is the battery that is claimed to run for up to 20 hours on a single charge.

The company’s rumoured Surface headphones have been spotted in a Bluetooth SIG listing and naturally, they are said to be an improvement over its predecessor. (Microsoft)

While Microsoft is focussing on the software side of things these days, delivering all the necessary access to applications for those working from home, it hasn't stopped working on the hardware front. The company's rumoured Surface headphones have been spotted in a Bluetooth SIG listing and naturally, they are said to be an improvement over its predecessor.

The listing confirms a couple of specifications right away. First is the inclusion of Bluetooth v5.0 and the second is the battery that is claimed to run for up to 20 hours on a single charge. Adding to the mix is Qualcomm's aptX HD audio codec for high-res audio streaming and 'IMU sensors for better head detection/tracking,' the purpose of which is not yet clear.

IMU or Inertial Measurement Unit is a device that uses accelerometers, gyroscopes or magnetometers to determine the head orientation. Although the purpose is not known, we assume that one of its use cases could be for hearing more immersive live music.

In the SIG filing, Microsoft adds that its headphones will have "Dial buttons adjust the levels of Noise cancellation to three settings and tap hold of the dial will launch VA without ever taking out your phone." Here, VA probably means voice assistant, which will likely be Cortana.

But the ultimate question is when will they launch and how much. Right now, there's practically no other evidence proving the new Surface Headphones' existence than this SIG filing, so the details are scarce right now. However, we may see it arriving sometime in Q4 of this year along with other such hardware products.

For now, the Redmond-based tech firm has its Build developer's conference on May 19. So, we hope Microsoft to drop some hints during the conference as well.