Sony is back with another hearable - the Xperia Ear Open Style Concept. As the name suggests this isn't a real product yet, Wareable reports.

This is a pair of wireless stereo earphones which use 'open-ear' technology developed by Sony's Future Lab program last year. All the tech sits in a module behind the ear and in your ear, two spatial acoustic conductors and drivers transmit sounds to your ear canal.

This design's big benefit is that it also lets the sounds of the world around you in - something Doppler Labs has been trying to do with microphones and algorithms on the Here One.

The working prototype is bulkier than the design prototype (above) but Sony reps were keen to stress this won't be what the final product is like. And the working model was very light.

As you'd expect, the Open Style Concept will work with Xperia Agent and Google Assistant if and when it becomes a real product. Sony also said that the regular Xperia Ear will be getting an upgrade soon with more voices available for its Agent assistant - right now there's only one. Plus it will get more functionality with third party apps and services which was always promised.