Inbase Buds Mini Lite is one of the unique products that I have come across when it comes to TWS earbuds, mainly because of its design. Announced in September this year, it is a compact device, that weighs only 25 grams. I have added a couple of images of the Inbase Mini Lite to show how small the Inbase Mini Lite is.
Inbase Buds Mini Lite: What’s in the box
The retail package of the Inbase Buds Mini Lite comprises the device, a USB to USB-C cable, a user manual, and a leaflet. As can be seen in the images, the earbuds come without ear tips.
Design and Comfort
The smooth plastic case measures under 4 cm on all four sides and weighs only 25 grams on my weighing scale. Each earbud weighs only 4 grams. It is small enough to slide into a pocket alongside a phone or wallet. Buyers are advised not to put keys or any sharp objects in the same pocket as the Buds Mini Lite to protect it from getting scratched.
It sports a unique design, as there are cutouts on the left and right edges of the case through which the 2-pin charging interface can be easily seen. The magnets present inside the case ensure that the connecting pins connect securely to the bottom portion of the earbuds. On the front, it has the Inbase branding, an LED indicator, and a USB-C port at the bottom. Both earbuds also have their own tiny LEDs that glow when they are put inside the case. While charging, the LED on the case remains on until the device is fully charged. According to Inbase, the Buds Mini Lite offers IPX5 sweat and water resistance. One issue that I faced with its case was that I found its lid closing too quickly.
The Buds Mini Lite sports a half-in-ear (semi-in-ear) design, which was popularised by the AirPods lineup. Hence, it does not come with ear tips.
The Buds Mini Lite is one of the smallest TWS earbuds that I have come across. It comes in three colours, black, white, and pink. Inbase sent me the pink variant, which looks cute and cool at the same time.
When in-ear earbuds are worn, the ear tips go deeper inside the ear, but half-in-ear earbuds can only go close to the ear canal. Nonetheless, the Buds Mini Lite fits comfortably in the ear’s curves. In my usage, the earbuds never fell off the ear, even while running. However, readers should note that they should not expect the Bud Mini Lite, which has semi-in-ear earbuds, to offer the same kind of fit.
Because the semi-in-ear earbuds have hard plastic in the part that goes inside the ear, some users may experience discomfort if they are worn for an extended period of time. I used the Buds Mini Lite several times for around 2 to 3 hours on a stretch, and those earbuds did not cause any sort of discomfort, probably because they are quite light in weight.
Connectivity and Touch Controls
The Inbase Buds Mini Lite comes with support for Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity. I did not encounter any drops in connectivity while using it. It is compatible with platforms like Android, iOS, and Windows. As soon as the earbuds are taken out of the case, they connect to the last device they were paired with.
There is no dedicated app for customizing earbuds. Users can check its battery levels by navigating to the Bluetooth settings on the paired device, as shown in the image above.
Users can tap once on either earbud to play / pause or answer / end calls. The left earbud can be long-pressed to listen to the next track. Pressing the right earbud slightly longer allows you to return to the previous track. A double tap on the left or right earbuds dials the last phone number in the call log. A triple tap on either earbud allows users to access the voice assistant. There is no way to customize these functions. Occasionally, I found the touch response a bit too sensitive, which meant I would not recognize whether earbuds registered a double tap. The earbuds lack support for smart wear detection.
Audio Experience and Call Quality
The Buds Mini Lite has 13mm audio drivers, but the highest volume setting does not feel high enough. So, users will find themselves listening to the highest setting. It offers a distortion-free listening experience, and the bass output is also good. It supports SBC and AAC audio codes. There is no noise-cancellation feature on the device. Hence, the call experience on the Buds Mini Lite is of average quality.
Battery Life
Inbase claims that the Buds Mini Lite’s earbuds offer up to 5 hours of playback time. With the charging case, it promises up to 40 hours of listening time. It offers up to 300 hours of standby time. Each earbud has a 30mAh battery, and the charging case packs a 200mAh battery.
It takes around an hour to fully charge the Inbase Buds Mini Lite. A good thing is that it comes equipped with a USB-C port for charging it conveniently. I have used the Buds Mini Lite, for nearly two months, and I found myself charging it only a few times.
Verdict
There is always a niche market for people who prefer compact devices. Hence, the Inbase Buds Mini Lite is one of the devices to consider for people looking for a lightweight TWS earbud. Except for a few issues, I did not find any major issues with the device. The Inbase Buds Mini Lite is listed for Rs 1,299 on Flipkart and Amazon. It comes with a 1-year warranty.
Disclaimer: The opinions in this review of the Inbase Buds Mini Lite are all mine and are based on my own experiences. Inbase did not have any editorial input.
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