The Poly Voyager Free 60 series includes three true wireless earbud models to accommodate a variety of modern day work styles. That's the reason why HP opted to showcase the series during its Amplify Partner Conference, in Chicago, together with a series of other new office products. Although targeting professional applications, the Poly Voyager Free 60 range of true wireless earbuds are a somewhat refreshing design with a very unique set of features that should easily appeal to anyone.
Unveiled for the first time at this HP event, the Poly Voyager Free 60 is an entry level model with hybrid ANC, designed to work with any mobile phone and to help bridge the gap between work and everyday life. Much more interesting are the Poly Voyager Free 60 UC enterprise-grade earbuds featuring adaptive ANC, and which comes with a Bluetooth 700 USB adapter stored inside the charging case. These adapters, available in USB-C and USB type A make it significantly more simple to connect with Windows PCs, which is always an argument for anyone used to having a Mac and being forced to use the PC at the office.
Finally, the most innovative and interesting of the three models is the Poly Voyager Free 60+ UC, which combines all the great features of the VF60 UC, plus a touchscreen charging case that allows users to control call status, mute/volume and more. The case also accepts a USB to 3.5 mm audio cable to connect to in-flight entertainment systems, allowing the case to become a Bluetooth transmitter to the earbuds (3 meter range). These are features that have been seen in other models, but not yet combined in an elegant design that doesn't intend to be another AirPods knockoff.
All the Voyager Free 60 models have charging cases with Qi wireless charging capabilities. And for those that care about those things (do they actually exist?), the Poly Voyager Free 60 UC earbuds are Microsoft Teams and Zoom certified (good thing they are also Made for iPhone certified).
For HP, these Poly products extend its strategy to captivate the individual users who are now leveraging the excuse of hybrid work to actually buy the gear they like, and still not being faced with disapproval by their jealous colleagues in the IT department who insist that connected wired headsets into old grey PCs is still mandatory in the office. It's also a great way for companies to compensate their employees forced to return to the office.
According to HP, with only 22 percent of workers describing themselves as ‘thriving’ in hybrid work, it’s clear companies are still figuring out how to make hybrid work. "Most companies want to move past the ‘forced return’ to the office era of hybrid work," says Alex Cho, President of Personal Systems, HP Inc. "The challenge is, they’re not sure how to. We believe the future is hybrid flexibility, which delivers the best of the home and the office to workers everywhere."
According to HP’s Future of Work study, 80 percent of workers want to be in the office some of the time, but many companies continue to struggle to get workers back in the office. HP research suggests that the most significant barrier to a return to office is a sub-optimal technology experience. In fact, 89 percent say technology is the most important factor driving return to office decisions. Similarly, of those who report thriving in hybrid work, 90 percent believe that access to the right technology and tools leads to a positive work experience. And if companies don't step ahead and offer modern and more advanced products that the "IT department" accepts, the hybrid workers will simply go to work with their Macs, iPhones and AirPods. That's not good for HP.
"Hybrid work does not equate to remote work. True hybrid work creates a great culture that connects people, raises productivity, and builds engagement. Technology is the biggest factor in doing that," says Guayente Sanmartin, Global Head of Commercial Systems and Displays Solutions, HP Inc. "HP is the only company that can truly make hybrid work across all spaces – home, office, and in between – and we’re going big with innovations to help keep people connected, productive, and secure."
Designed for all day wear, the Poly Voyager Free 60 earbuds are lightweight, come with three sizes of conical-shaped ear tips engineered for maximum comfort, and offer advanced sidetone technology (the possibility to listen to our own voice) that allows users to be aware of how loud they are speaking so you don't strain their voice and exasperate colleagues.
More importantly, these are brand new Bluetooth 5.3 TWS earbuds that feature Class 1 radios with multipoint connectivity, and support all the mandatory codecs, including AAC and aptX. Surprisingly, these already support also the latest LC3 codec with the BT700 Bluetooth adapter, in both mono and stereo telephony modes for improved density. The battery on all the three models lasts all day (8 to 11 hours, depending of usage), and both the earbuds and the charging case can be quickly recharged with fast charging. The earbuds even have buttons to answer calls, play/pause, or activate a voice assistant, while also supporting gestures for those who prefer that.
All the three Voyager Free 60 earbuds are available in a choice of Carbon Black or White Sand finish, there's a version of the Voyager Free 60 UC with the old USB-A adapter for those forced to deal with old PCs, and the UC models cost between $229.95 and $329.95 USD on the Poly website.
www.poly.com
