Mobvoi has launched a new pair of true wireless earbuds – the TicPods 2 Pro+. As the name makes it abundantly clear, the new Mobvoi offering succeeds the TicPods 2 Pro that made their debut last year, and come with a few new features and improvements. Plus, Mobvoi has also redesigned the charging case and has adorned it with a metal strip for an added dash of premium aesthetics. And surprisingly, the company is not asking for a generation-over-generation premium and has retained the $139 asking price.

Talking about the upgrades, the TicPods 2 Pro+ earbuds come with the independent connection feature that allows users to control each earbud individually via touch and tap gestures. It is facilitated by the Single Pairing technology updated from the latest Qualcomm ADK. Mobvoi says the new tool also “brings Smart Role-swap / handover to balance the battery of two earbuds, to extend battery life when using both earbuds.” Additionally, the company says it has also improved the touch and tap gestures for tasks such as controlling volume levels, handling calls and summoning the voice assistant.

Moreover, the TicPods 2 Pro+ also serves as the launch platform for what it calls Quick Command 2.0 feature. So, what do they actually help with? Well, users no longer have to use a hotword while issuing a voice command. They can simply say “play music”, “pause music”, “next song” and “previous song” for music playback controls, or “pick up” or “hang up” to accept or reject incoming calls. Lastly, Mobvoi has also introduced two new voice commands for volume controls – “volume up” and “volume down” – offering users an alternative way to control volume levels aside from using swipe gestures. 

The new earbuds also come with IPX4 dust and waterproof rating and are claimed to last 4 hours of continuous music playback a single charge, while the charging case adds another 20 hours worth of battery life. The Mobvoi TicPods 2 Pro+ come in Navy and Ice colors, and can now be purchased from the company’s official website and Amazon for $139.99 (£119.99 / €139.99 ) a pop.