Tech Tools: Sony Xperia Ear tries to make bluetooth fashionable

The Xperia Ear allows users to get notifications and messages without touching their phone

Xperia Ear wireless earpieces, manufactured by Sony Corp. Photograph: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg
Xperia Ear wireless earpieces, manufactured by Sony Corp. Photograph: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg

Can we all just sit for a moment and consider what is happening here. Bluetooth earpieces, those unfashionable things that were only worn by people who spent eight hours of the day sitting behind the wheel, or were under the impression that using the wireless devices was somehow better for you than holding a phone to your ear, are trying to make a comeback.

But not in the form that you previously knew them. Oh no: these days they are less of a passive bystander and more of a digital assistant, at least in Sony’s world.

The Xperia Ear allows users to get notifications and messages without touching their phone. Using a proximity sensor to detect when it is being worn, the Bluetooth earbud will then keep you up to date with everything from missed calls to breaking news. It also has an optional charging case that you can store the device in to keep the battery topped up. Tempted?