Bose QuietComfort 35 (Series II) Wireless Headphones, Noise Cancelling Review

OVERALL OPINION: 

These headphones are amazing! I might have been perfectly satisfied with the first version of the QC35s, but I luckily stumbled on the second generation which includes the Google Assistant integration. I initially thought it would be a small bonus, but I totally underestimated how powerful and convenient this could be. It's more than just a trigger for voice commands. It's a surprisingly flawless implementation that allows Google Assistant to turn you into much more productive multi-tasker.

GOOGLE ASSISTANT VOICE COMMANDS:
You start by connecting the headphones to your phone via the 'Bose Connect' app. Now, all you have to do is press and hold the button on the left side and speak your voice command. This is a lot easier and less tedious than having to precede every command with "OK Google", but this isn't even the best part of this integration.

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GOOGLE ASSISTANT NOTIFICATIONS:
The best feature of the Google Assistant integration is the ability to receive voice notifications! Whenever you receive a notification on your phone, it is automatically spoken to you on your headphones. When text messages are received, not only can you have the message read to you with a single click of the left button, but you're also presented with an immediate opportunity to send a voice-to-text response by holding the left button while speaking. This allows you to multitask like no other. The Bose Connect app allows you to choose between temporarily pausing your audio during the notification (so you don't miss a second of that podcast you were listening to) or just reducing its volume while the notification is played. You can double press the left button to shut Google Assistant up mid-notification if you ever wish to as well. It's an excellent experience. I tried smartwatches in the past, but they never seemed to deliver a convenience above and beyond what a phone could do on its own. The hands-free and vision-free experience these headphones enable fills the void we all hoped smartwatches would.

CONNECTING TO TWO DEVICES:
Speaking of multitasking, these headphones can be connected to two devices at a time without the fumbling and confusion that comes along with other Bluetooth headphones offering similar functionality. I’ve got mine connected to my Android phone and my Windows PC. Start playing media from either device and it’s streamed right to your headphones. To play from the opposite device, just pause the current media on the first device and then play the new media on the second device. It’s that simple. But to receive the notifications I mentioned, your current connection must be with your phone.

FIT, FORM, & FUNCTION:
Lastly, you might be wondering how these headphones perform as headphones. The answer is great! Check out all the reviews of the first generation for the details as I don’t think much has changed there. They’re very comfortable, lightweight, and they don’t make your ears sweat or hurt over long periods of continual usage. I explained the left button for interacting with Google Assistant in depth, but the media controls on the right are just as useful and intuitive. Double-click the play/pause button to skip to the next track and triple-click it to go back a track. The wireless range, the sound quality, and the battery life (20 hours) is all top notch for such a portable package. I haven’t tested the mic quality during a call yet, but even if it’s not the greatest, this headset has already exceeded my expectations in so many ways - I couldn’t be happier with the design.

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