Headphones Adidas can be charged by any type of light

Sports manufacturer Adidas has introduced a new wireless headset. The RPT-02 Sol can last for 80 hours on a single charge and uses built-in photovoltaic cells that allow the battery to be charged in both natural and artificial light. The headphones cost 229 euros.

The headset uses Powerfoyle technology from the Swedish manufacturer Exeger. This is a photovoltaic foil that can be placed on all kinds of surfaces and can generate energy from natural and artificial light. The built-in battery of the RPT-02 Sol can last 80 hours on a single charge. It takes two hours to fully charge it. However, when the headphones are exposed to light, and thus charges the battery, the playing time of the headphones is almost infinite, according to Adidas.

The RPT-02 Sol has 45mm drivers, a built-in microphone, Bluetooth 5.2, various physical buttons to control sound and a USB-C connection. The wireless headphones weigh 256 grams and have an IPX4 rating. This means that it must be able to withstand splashing water. The headphones are partly made of recycled plastic and nylon. The RPT-02 Sol should cost 229 euros and will be available from August 23.

Adidas is not the first manufacturer to experiment with this technology. JBL used the same foil in 2019 with its Reflect Eternal headphones. When a user walked for 2.4 hours in an outdoor environment, the Reflect Eternal no longer needed a charger, but for that claim JBL assumed a light intensity of 50,000 lux. Adidas does not mention brightness.