2nd-gen Moto Hint: The socially acceptable hearable gets better audio and battery life

The Moto Hint was expected to finally make bluetooth headsets socially acceptable to wear, but unfortunately it fell a little flat right out of the gate. The device was hailed as the personal assistant you always wanted, right inside your ear. Instead, users got a relatively comfortable earpiece that had a hard time distinguishing between you and ambient noise. Oh, and it didn’t sound very good.

Earlier this week, Motorola quietly released the second generation for the Moto Hint and could potentially revitalize the stagnant bluetooth device. The upgraded earpiece now has a battery that lasts 17 hours, a reported 70 percent increase from the first generation device. Thankfully, the device’s audio and voice control also got a major upgrade.

One of the biggest problems with the Moto Hint was that it really only worked with the Moto X. If that problem remains, users could be turning to competing bluetooth devices, like Bragi’s Dash.

The Dash, a pair of wireless bluetooth earbuds, could be the device to give the Moto X a run for its money. Dash claims to not only be an extension of your phone, but able to monitor your heart rate and body’s oxygen saturation and temperature. It also comes equipped with a calorie counter, 4GB of internal memory to store music, passive noise isolation and audio transparency.

The release of the new generation of Moto Hint comes days before Motorola events in New York and London. On July 28, the tech company is expected to reveal new products, and the rumored Moto 360 2 is expected to make a cameo.

The Moto Hint is exclusively being sold at BestBuy for $129.99, which is down from the first generation price at $149.99.  If you are looking to spend less than that, the first generation is now retailing for $79.99