In 2023, customers came to us to explore a new open Bluetooth headset.
We start with the way of wearing, gradually combing and screening the feasible direction, and finally focus on the "ear-hanging" scheme. In this form, we try to break away from the limitation of traditional design and innovatively introduce the idea of "structural stacking" to make the speaker and the host module layered layout, so as to make the speaker sound hole closer to the ear canal without sacrificing performance, greatly compress the volume, and create a small and light open earphone.

At the beginning of the project, we reorganized the wearing form of open earphones, starting from different areas around the ears, to find new wearing forms of open earphones, and initially screened a batch of possible directions.

There is a possibility of landing in each method. After in-depth communication with the brand side, combined with the brand side's product line planning, we finally chose the ear-hanging type as the focus of this design and explored in a lighter and smaller direction.

In the design of open headphones, the distance between the sound hole and the ear canal directly affects the sound performance. In traditional practice, the speaker is usually integrated with other structures of the host, and the sound hole is difficult to be closer to the ear, so a larger size speaker should be used.
In order to solve this problem, we propose to split the speaker separately and recombine it with the host with a "stacked" structure-this way not only makes the sound closer to the ear, but also significantly reduces the overall volume of the earphone, making it lighter and more concise while maintaining comfortable wearing.

Front vision is smaller and thinner than traditional open headphones.

After determining the wearing mode and entering the human and adjustment stage, we made a lot of adjustments to the overall curve of the earphone, especially in the ear hanging area, and repeatedly optimized the surface shape to improve the fit and comfort. Multiple rounds of wearing tests also help us to constantly fine-tune and make the wearing experience as light and natural as possible.

In the process of continuous adjustment, we have achieved an excellent wearing feeling and unique shape. The final product is equipped with the self-developed AI model of byte beating, which also forms a distinct difference in experience, making it a unique existence in the market.

In addition to the earphone body, we have also made a variety of attempts on the structural form of the charging box, including different storage methods such as horizontal and vertical.

For the headphone box, small and easy storage is the most important point. Therefore, in the form, we finally chose a more space-saving vertical structure.
In the opening and closing mode, we have tried the pop-up mechanical structure, but in the actual experience, this way is more abrupt and tough, and the internal structure is relatively complex. To this end, we have conceived a new opening and closing logic-the whole is wrapped in soft materials and fixed by magnetic attraction, which not only simplifies the structure, but also gives the product a softer touch and a more fashionable appearance.

In order to further weaken the visual thickness, we added a "drum surface" shape on both sides of the charging box to make the whole lighter and thinner. The opening and closing method draws on the logic of the coin bag-it can be opened smoothly with one hand through metal parts on both sides, maintaining the convenience of operation, and adding metal embellishment to the overall soft material box body.

This Ola Friend AI smart headset was also officially launched in October 2024, becoming the first headset product on the market equipped with AI large models.