Bose's New Headphones

Bose’s New Headphones Come With Google Assistant

Jonathan Vanian

Bose’s new headphones promise something more than just listening to music.

The audio equipment company debuted its QC35 II headphones on Thursday that are compatible with Google Assistant, the search giant’s voice-activated digital assistant.

Google (GOOG, +0.09%), like other big tech companies including Apple (AAPL, -2.18%) and Microsoft (MSFT, -0.96%), has been pushing its digital assistant as a new way for people to interact with their smartphones and other devices like the company’s web-connected Google Home speaker.

Now, people can use their voices to tell Google Assistant to play music—including a specific song—through the new Bose headphones. And if they want to add meetings to their Google calendars, they can press and hold a button on the new headphones then tell Google Assistant to add an appointment to their calendars.

Bose, which is known for its speakers, said that its microphone can detect voices well enough so that it understands what people are saying.

People will need to connect their headphones to their iPhones or Android-based smartphones via Bluetooth in order to link to Google's Assistant, Google said in a blog post.

In August, LG Electronics said it would integrate Google Assistant with its Internet-connected washing machines and refrigerators, underscoring Google’s efforts to bring its digital assistant to more consumer electronic devices.

In this market, Google faces tough competition from Amazon, which is making similar moves with its Alexa digital assistant. Amazon (AMZN, -0.83%), for instance, said in August that owners of Technicolor modems could ask Alexa to perform tasks like configuring their home networks.Bose's headphones, which cost $350, also come with the ability to lower background noise so people can listen to music without outside distractions.