Adidas announces RPT-02 SOL, the wireless headphones you don’t need to charge

Adidas has launched a new pair of wireless headphones. The first generation, the RPT-01, didn’t come with much in the way of special capabilities beyond 40 hours of battery life, which is pretty common in audio accessories of this kind. The second generation, again made in partnership with Zound Industries, incorporates something we’re likely to see more and more often on wireless accessories: charging from light, both solar and artificial.

Adidas’ RPT-02 SOL headphones use Powerfoyle

The new helmets, with the not-so-simple-to-remember name RPT-02 SOL, benefit from a new technology called Powerfoyle, developed by Swedish company Exeger. It can be printed directly onto plastic surfaces or other materials and includes photovoltaic cells that can harvest energy from any type of light. While most photovoltaic panels charge exclusively from sunlight, Adidas helmets equipped with Powerfoyle can also draw energy from artificial light. So you can keep your headphones powered all day and night.

When there’s no light around, the Adidas RPT-02 SOL headphones offer 80 hours of battery life, double that of the previous generation. It’s unclear how fast they charge through the solar system, though, and there’s a USB-C port for faster charging.

The helmets are made from pretty much the same materials Adidas also uses in the construction of its sports shoes: plastic and recycled nylon. The shell is splash-proof to IPX4 standard, a necessary capability for using these helmets for sporting activities where sweat droplets might occur.

The $229 USD price tag isn’t exactly low, but these could be the wireless headphones that users will never need to charge. The Adidas RPT-02 SOL launches on August 23.