Apple’s Beats brand has finally landed in India, and its Beats Solo Buds TWS earbuds are currently the most affordable AirPods alternative available in the country. Priced at Rs 6,900, these earbuds from Beats, and by extension Apple, offer seamless pairing with iPhones, a feature often missing in third-party audio products. They also support the “Find My” feature in case you lose one of the earbuds. Additionally, you can manage the earbuds directly through your iPhone’s Settings app, eliminating the need for a dedicated app.
However, the Beats Solo Buds TWS earbuds are equally Android-friendly, which isn’t true for AirPods. You can manage the earbuds with the dedicated Beats app from Google Play, and also make use of the Google Find Device support, which offers the same benefit as Apple’s Find My feature.
In that case, are the Solo Buds the best audio companion for both iPhone and Android users? Let’s find out.
Table of Contents
Design
Being an Apple sub-brand, Beats extends its parent firm’s commitment to environmentally friendly packaging. The packaging uses no plastic, and the box comprises 100 percent plant-based material sourced from recycled fibre or sustainable products.
Apart from the earbuds, other the box contents include some paperwork and silicone ear tips of different sizes (extra small, small, and large) – all neatly tucked into one tiny box. There’s no Type-C charging cable.
I truly loved the purple variant of the Solo Buds that I reviewed. This colour option is a refreshing change from Apple’s standard white AirPods, which can appear boring over time. The earbuds and their case share the same vibrant colour. Other options include Storm Grey and Matt Black. Its “Transparent Red” variant, as the name suggests, offers a see-through case, similar to the Nothing Ear 1, though the tiny earbuds feature an opaque rubbery finish. The case only includes a single “b” branding on the lid, providing a highly minimal look.
Speaking of the size and finish, the Solo Buds come with one of the most compact cases I’ve ever seen. The case is super lightweight and can even fit in that tiny pocket of your jeans. It features a solid polycarbonate finish, which feels premium. The only catch is that the earbuds won’t automatically charge as soon as you pop them into the case. I will speak more in detail in the dedicated battery section.
Otherwise, I appreciate the case’s matte finish, which helps hide scratch marks and fingerprint smudges. However, the material is still prone to getting dirty, as I’ve managed to get some smudges on mine.
The bottom features a flat end to let you rest the case in a natural upright position on the desk. Unlike the AirPods, the in-ear earbuds do not have stems, but feature “ergonomically-angled acoustic nozzles” for a snug fit. The weight seems fine, but the earbuds indeed provide a comfortable fit for prolonged usage. However, if you aren’t blessed with big ears, myself included, Solo Buds can get tricky to wear, especially if you’re chewing or running.
If you use the on-ear controls, wearing the Beats earbuds gets tricky as you have to push the physical buttons to change volume or tracks. Perhaps a big setback is the lack of IP rating for protection against dust and water. That means the earbuds only provide the bare minimum for protection against water, including sweat, but I’d suggest users keep them dry.
Sound
While you can enjoy seamless pairing with iPhones, the Beats Solo Buds lack active noise cancellation (ANC), similar to the base AirPods. You can expect a decent amount of isolation, thanks to the earbuds’ “ergonomically-angled acoustic nozzles.”
In terms of sound quality, the Beats Solo Buds prioritise a balanced profile with a strong focus on vocals. The lows are decent, though the bass lacks a bit of thump. For my test, I listened to Aurora’s “The Gods We Can Touch,” which incorporates a mix of acoustic, electro, and pop elements. I enjoyed the artist’s powerful vocals, but the mids and lows needed more refinement. Even listening to Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” sounded a little flat, and I missed the punchiness in the bass that Beats is generally known for. Sadly, the Solo Buds do not offer equaliser support via the supported app (the Settings app in iPhone’s case). You can download third-party equalisers to tune the phone’s audio profile.
The audio experience was mostly similar between an iPhone and Android phone, and the earbuds only appear to be offering AAC codec support. I used the Solo Beats with the iPhone 14 Plus (review) and the OnePlus Open (review), and there weren’t any connectivity issues in my brief usage. The audio can be loud, but that does not matter to me as I generally set the decibel levels to 75 dB.
Pairing the earbuds to a MacBook wasn’t a problem, though I hoped for simultaneous multi-device connectivity, which several rivals in the segment offer.
Overall, the Beats Solo Buds is quite modest in terms of sound and performance, which may go well with iPhone users with its simple one-touch connectivity/pairing option. However, the audio quality during calls is average at best. As pointed out by my colleague on the receiving end, the voice can seem a little muffled and unclear in crowded places.
App support and battery
Managing the Beats Solo Buds with an iPhone is simple, which I am sure many customers will prefer. All the controls are available within the Settings app, similar to that of AirPods. However, users only get the option to tweak the touch controls due to the earbuds’ limited features. As mentioned, the Beats get Apple’s “Find My” support to locate the earbuds if they go missing. Interestingly, if you turn off volume control, you can activate voice assistant (Siri or Google Assistant) by long-pressing the physical button.
Similarly, the Beats app for Android offers identical settings with a different interface. Both apps let users check the Solo Buds’ battery levels.
Speaking of battery life, the earbuds promise nearly 18 hours on a single charge, though the real-life figure can vary if you play audio at high volumes. Notably, the case does not charge the earbuds as soon as you place them inside as it doesn’t have a battery of its own. Instead, the earbuds only charge when the case is connected to a power source. That might explain the case’s slender design and the earbuds’ slightly thicker build. Nonetheless, it’s a strange mechanism for newer-gen TWS earbuds.
Verdict
The Beats Solo Buds are a decent choice if you want to experience Apple AirPods connectivity and in turn, the Apple ecosystem, on a budget. The earbuds also provide a balanced sound profile with a strong focus on vocals, though the punchiness could be better.
Due to the earbuds’ modest specifications, the battery life is decent, if not the best. However, the company’s decision to require the case to be connected to a power source for charging the earbuds is perplexing and will likely be confusing for many customers.
At least the seamless connectivity also works with Android phones, and users can download the dedicated Beats app from Google Play to manage the earbuds. If size, weight and looks matter to you, these are among lightest (also the most attractive) earbuds I’ve used, which I am sure many customers will appreciate.
Editor’s rating: 7.5 / 10
Pros
- Stylish look
- Lightweight
- Decent noise isolation
- Seamless pairing with iPhones
Cons
- No ANC
- No multi-device support
