Andrew Heinzman
A $600 set of cans and a $1,170 smartwatch aren’t appealing to the average person. But Montblanc isn’t selling its new Smart Headphones or Summit 2+ smartwatch for average folk. Instead, the company is targeting its core demographic: male business travelers.
That’s right, the storied male business traveler. You may have encountered one during a family vacation or while shopping for deli meat. You may even be a male business traveler yourself, in which case, you’re probably wondering how these new Montblanc gadgets could improve your next trip.
Let’s start with the $600 Montblanc Smart Headphones. These wireless, easy-to-clean cans support active noise cancellation and have a dedicated Google Assistant key. Like most headphones that cost over $40, Montblanc’s Smart Headphones fold inward and come with a carrying case.
The only outstanding things about these headphones, aside from the $600 price tag, are the sound quality and battery life. Cherlynn Low at Engadget describes the sound of thee headphones as “surprisingly full,” and even compares them to similarly spec’d (but less expensive) products from Bose, Sony, Sennheiser, and Marshall. And according to Montblanc, you can expect 20 hours of use from the Smart Headphones—perfect for a long flight.
The Smart Headphones are Montblanc’s first attempt at selling music accessories. But the Summit 2+ is actually the company’s third run of smartwatches. Previous devices, like the Summit 2 smartwatch, were loaded with impressive Snapdragon chipsets, a 2-day battery life, and vintage designs.
Montblanc is taking things a step further with the Summit 2+. This new watch has Verizon LTE and GPS onboard, it sports a stress-detecting heart rate sensor, and its loaded with a Wear 3100 chipset and 410 mAh battery (again, 2-day battery life). It also comes with a Travel Info app and offers voice translations, although doing that from your watch kind of sounds like a hassle.
At $1,170, this watch is definitely a showpiece for well-to-do men. After all, the Summit 2+’s fancy travel features already exist on cheaper devices, like the Apple Watch.
If you’re looking for a solid pair of ANC headphones or a smartwatch that won’t break the bank, then check out our articles on The Best Premium Over-Ear Noise Cancelling Headphones or some of our smartwatch reviews. Hell, for the price of Montblanc’s headphones alone you could easily buy a new smartwatch and a good set of Bluetooth cans from another manufacturer.
