After a lot of delays, the Apple BeatsX earphones have finally been released. The earphones which were expected to hit the stores in fall 2016 are now available on stores after a delay of more than 2 months. They will be selling at $150, ten bucks cheaper than the AirPods.
The BeatsX earphones are similar, yet very different from the now very popular AirPods. For starters, they are built using the same W1 chip used in the AirPods, which means that connecting to iOS devices should be just as easy on the BeatsX as it is on the AirPods.
However, unlike the AirPods, the BeatsX earphones are not 100% wireless. The left earbud is connected to the right ear bud by a cable. This cable is designed to go around your neck when in use.
Setting Up
Setting up is easy regardless of the phone you are using. If you have an iPhone running on iOS 10, the W1 chip makes connecting a breeze. You simply need to power them on and hold them close to the phone. The phone will detect them and show a prompt asking if you would like to pair the earphones.
If you are using a different device, you will be able to connect using Bluetooth.
Audio Quality
For a pair of earphones that cost $150, the expectations are pretty high. The good news is that this pair performs exceptionally. They deliver clear sound across a wide range of genres. However, if you are looking for a lot of booming bass, you won’t find it here.
The BeatsX is more about balance. Although you will not feel like you are listening from inside a woofer, it does achieve a good tonal balance.
In addition, they feature optimized noise isolation which does a decent job keeping ambient noises at bay. The earphones do an even better job when it comes to sound leakage. No matter how loud you play the music, you will be in a world of your own.
Apple BeatsX Design
Let’s start with the ear buds. They come with four ear-tip options to ensure that you get a personalized and comfortable fit. Also, you will get secure-fit wingtips which ensure stability, keeping them from falling off.
As mentioned earlier, the two ear buds are connected via a cable. It may sound like a bad thing because a cable tends to weigh the ear buds down, but it also comes with its fair share of advantages. For starters, you have no reason to worry about the ear buds falling off.
This makes them ideal for use when jogging, working out or any physical activity. Thanks to this design, they are also very difficult to lose, something that can’t be said about the AirPods.
Another advantage of this design is the fact that there is room for in-line controls which allow you to take calls adjust volume, switch back and forth between tracks and even activate Siri. There’s also more space for a bigger battery. Which brings us to another big selling point of these earphones:
Battery Life
Apple is confident that the battery on the BeatsX earphones will be able to give up to 8 hours of battery life from a full charge. The good news don’t end there. It gets even better: If you need more juice after that, you can get up to 2 hours of music playback from a 5-minute charge.
Granted, these earbuds are not AirPods, but they certainly do a good job as alternatives. If you are one of those people who for one reason or the other can’t use AirPods, then the BeatsX will serve as a good alternative. They are as iPhone friendly as AirPods, cheaper and you will certainly be happy about the 1 business day shipping time. AirPods currently have a 6 week shipping time.
You can get them on Amazon, or the Apple Store for $150.