Bose's QuietComfort Headphones get a major upgrade with a design that's sleeker than ever

Credit: Bose Published Aug 6, 2026, 9:00 AM EDT Andy is a seasoned technology journalist with more than 15 years experience in the mobile industry, writing for Digital Trends, Wired, and more. Andy has reviewed hundreds of smartphones and tablets, dozens of smartwatches, and a host of smart rings, smart glasses, and fitness trackers, giving him a unique ability to assess and evaluate the latest products. His daily mobile tech life includes Android and iOS devices, smart rings, and a smartwatch, unless it's a special occasion, when a traditional watch takes its place on his wrist. Andy always has a strong opinion on the state of the mobile industry, and writes in-depth analysis features to put the latest news and products into context. He has attended multiple CES, MWC, and IFA tradeshows, has a passion for photography and cars, listens to far too much K-pop, and follows F1. You can find Andy's portfolio of work on his Authory page. Sign in to your Android Police account When you think of Bose, you will likely think of its QuietComfort Headphones. A simple design with great noise cancellation, and comfort suitable for long-term wear. For 2026, the brand has updated its most iconic model with a new design and features taken from its QuietComfort Ultra series. Meet the Bose QuietComfort Headphones (Gen 2) Credit: Bose For the QuietComfort Headphones (Gen 2), Bose has taken the original design, refined it, and brought it right up-to-date. The earcups have a new, sleek pill-shape design and are attached to a sliding hanger, removing the visual clutter from the current model. The cushions are more plush, and are made from synthetic leather. Bose has worked on the clamping force to create a secure fit, and at 230 grams they’re suitably light weight. The oval cup design works with the six-microphone Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) system to improve response, and isolate you more effectively. What’s more, the ANC’s ActiveSense feature will react more naturally to sudden loud noises, and the microphones will compensate better to gaps in the seal caused by wearing glasses. More new features Credit: Bose The Bose Immersive Audio feature, previously seen on the QuietComfort Ultra (Gen 2), joins the Quiet Comfort Headphones (Gen 2). It offers sensor and software-driven spatial audio modes, including Cinema mode to emphasize dialogue and widen the stereo soundstage, and Motion Mode, where sound is kept centralized while you’re moving around. A two-way USB-C audio mode adds wired 24bit/48kHz lossless audio for use with video conferencing platforms while still charging the headphones. There’s also Multipoint Bluetooth 5.4 and Google Fast Pair. Bose expects the battery to last for around 24 hours on a single charge, and fully charging the battery will take about three hours. However, there’s also a 15-minute fast charge feature to add two-and-a-half hours of use. When can you buy the QuietComfort Headphones (Gen 2) Credit: Bose Preorders for the $359 Bose QuietComfort Headphones (Gen 2) start on August 8, and the headphones will be released on August 13. There are two basic colors, black and White Smoke, plus a collection of three cool limited edition colors. These are Rosewood Mauve, Eucalyptus Green, and Dewdrop Mint.