Apple’s Beats by Dre headphone brand has teamed up with reality TV monolith Kim Kardashian on some new ‘neutral’ colour options for the excellent Beats Fit Pro earbuds.
The new Moon, Dune, and Earth versions (lighter to darker, respectively) of the Beats Fit Pro are available from August 16 at a new Apple.com/kim website. The good news is they’ll be available in the UK too.
The new hues are designed to be skin coloured and will do a much better job of blending in with a greater array of tones. In that respect, they’re a little more inclusive than what we’re used to from tech products.
They should be a nice option for those who aren’t necessarily looking to deviate too much from their natural skin tones with a piece of tech that would normally offset an otherwise carefully chosen look. Kardashian says they’re also pretty handy as a cosmetic aid, designed to match wardrobe choices.
“Traditionally, most consumer electronics are in the default colours of black and white,” she told Vogue. “But I wanted to incorporate universal neutrals that are core, as headphones truly are wearable tech accessories. This collection is really for people who appreciate a head-to-toe monochromatic or minimalist look.”
Other than the tones, the Beat Fits Pro are the same as the earbuds we gave a four-star review earlier this year. We praised the stable fit and good comfort levels, iOS and Android support, the addition of noise cancelling, and onboard physical controls.
“If you like the Beats’ style and want a noise cancelling wireless earbud for casual as well as fitness and gym use, the Fit Pro tick the right boxes,” our reviewer wrote.
There’s still a long way to go for technology in terms of being more inclusive when it comes to the endless array of skin tones possessed by gadget owners.
The fact Google’s ongoing efforts with Real Tone on Pixel phones (and subsequent work on reducing AI bias) is one of the only high profile initiatives speaks volumes.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
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