Skullcandy’s New Cheap Earbuds Have Their Own Voice Assistant

You’ll just need to be comfortable with saying “Hey Skullcandy” out loud while out in public.

ByAndrew LiszewskiYesterday 8:00AMAlerts

One of the best reasons to choose Apple or Google’s wireless earbuds is that you can use either company’s always-listening voice assistants to control your music playback, without ever having to touch anything. Other wireless earbuds require you to tap a button first to make Siri or Google Assistant pay attention, which is less convenient, and why Skullcandy is introducing its own voice commands.

Is reaching up to your ear to tap or press a small button on your wireless earbuds that much of an inconvenience? Not necessarily, but for users who struggle to get wireless earbuds to stay put, even a tiny button tap can dislodge a bud, requiring a readjustment for a solid fit again. The task is further complicated if your hands are otherwise occupied, like when carrying groceries, wrangling a child, or steering a bicycle. It sounds like a small feature, but having wireless earbuds that are always listening for a voice command is actually incredibly useful, and a legitimate reason to opt for Apple’s or Google’s headphones over the competition. For those on tighter budgets, however, Skullcandy is finally bringing that functionality to buds that cost less than $100.

Available starting today, Skullcandy’s $100 Grind Fuel and the $80 Push Active both feature the company’s new Skull-iQ voice control functionality. Like the Apple AirPods or the Google Pixel Buds, the two new additions to Skullcandy’s lineup are always listening for voice commands, instead of requiring a button press first. That means that common functions like controlling music playback, adjusting the volume, turning on ambient sound modes, and even launching Spotify, can all be accessed by simply asking for them. The only downside? Instead of saying “Hey Siri” or “Hey Google,” you’ll have to say, “Hey Skullcandy” out loud. That might garner some odd looks from those around you—after all, Skullcandy isn’t really as well-known as Siri or Google.