Tuesday, December 1, 2020

realme Buds Air Pro Hands-On

realme is no longer new in the TWS business given their previous offerings. Although smartphones are still their main offerings, we’re glad to see that they’re releasing new wireless earbuds with cool features and nice sound quality. One example is the new realme Buds Air Pro. Want to know more? Read our hands-on below.

Unlike the Apple AirPods-inspired realme Buds Air, the Buds Air Pro comes in a glossy white circular form factor. The unit we have is in the Soul White colorway, but it is also available in Rock Black. Upfront is the LED indicator and realme branding. The LED indicator turns Green and Red, depending on the battery level.

Located on the right is a subtle pairing/reset button.

While at the bottom is its USB Type-C port. Sadly, it no longer has wireless charging capabilities compared to the first Buds Air.

The overall look kind of reminded us of the AirPods Pro from Apple, but with a longer stem. It is an in-ear type of earphones, and there are different sizes of silicone tips included in the box, so make sure you choose the right size for a snug fit. It is made out of high-quality polycarbonate material, which makes it look premium and comfortable to wear.

Taking a closer look at these earbuds, you will find small circular cut-outs for the noise-canceling microphone, proximity sensors, and touch control sensors.

The realme Buds Air Pro is equipped with an S1 chip for a more stable connection and easy pairing process. It’s similar to the pairing process of the AirPods.

To pair, just open the realme Buds Air Pro’s case near your realme smartphone. You’ll get a drop-down notification on your device that the buds are nearby. Tap it, and you’re good to go. If you are using a different Android device or have an iPhone, you need to go through the traditional Bluetooth pairing process through Settings. Your phone will detect the realme Buds Air Pro the next time you take it out of the case.

The realme Buds Air Pro has three modes: Normal, Transparency, and Active Noise Cancellation. To activate these features, tap and hold on either of the Buds Air Pro stems then you will hear a voice indicating what mode you are in.

There’s a companion app for the realm Buds Air pro called the Realme Link app, which is available on Google Play Store. In the app, you can check the Buds Air Pro’s battery level as well as toggle its modes manually. You can also customize actions on the app when you single tap each earbud to suit your preference. You can also enable gaming mode to activate its 94ms Super Low Latency feature.

As for the Buds Air Pro’s sound quality, since this is an in-ear earphone, it does sound so much better than the realme Buds Air. There’s an ample amount of bass thanks to its 10mm Bass Boost Driver. It also handled highs and mids very well, and the overall sound quality is pretty balanced. It produces a clear and crisp sound even in high volumes. The noise-cancellation tech is decent but not on the same level as the more expensive NC TWS.

For the battery, the realme Buds Air Pro can last up to 20-24 hours of music playback with Active Noise Cancellation on thanks to the charging case. It does have fast charging capabilities, which can provide 3 hours of music playback when charged for 10 minutes. But on a single charge, the buds can last up to 5 hours with Active Noise Cancellation turned on and up to 6 hours without, which is pretty impressive.

The official Philippine price of the realme Buds Air Pro is yet to be announced but we expect to be priced competitively. So, if you are looking for a budget-friendly TWS with Active Noise Cancellation, this is a good recommendation.