The true wireless earbuds market has grown quite significantly this year. Most smartphone manufacturers have announced at least one TWS earbuds in 2019 and a lot more are coming our way in the next few months. Realme also joined this party a few days back and the company is targeting the affordable segment of the market with its Realme Buds Air, which is priced competitively at Rs. 3999 (~$56). Like a lot of TWS earbuds, the Realme Buds Air takes its inspiration from the best selling Apple AirPods series. Today, we take a quick look at how closely the Buds Air resemble the AirPods 2.

I would like to start this article by saying that the Realme Buds Air is no way an AirPods clone. While it definitely takes its inspiration from the best in the industry, there are a lot of differences to set it apart from the AirPods 2. The earbuds come in three different colors which include white, black, and yellow. We’ve got the white one for review, which is the ideal color for this comparison.

Realme Buds Air vs Apple AirPods 2: Earbuds

Like every other TWS earbuds in the market, the Realme Buds Air package consists of two parts – the two earbuds (L & R) and the charging case. The earbuds come very close to mimicking the AirPods’ design but it’s not an exact clone.

The Realme Buds Air feature relatively round and large heads in comparison to the slightly smaller, oval shape of the AirPods. So despite having a similar sensor layout as the AirPods, it’s very easy to distinguish between the two based on the shapes alone. Another big differentiator for the Buds Air is the absence of the mesh at the back.

While both the earbuds feature a similarly sized stem, they have significantly different charging connectors. The AirPods feature a metal round connector at the bottom of the earbuds while the Realme Buds Air feature an open design with two connector pins at the bottom. The microphones are located at the back of the stem on both the models.

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Editor’s Pick: Apple leads the True Wireless Earbuds market, Xiaomi in second place

Realme Buds Air vs Apple AirPods 2: Charging Case

When it comes to the charging case, the similarities between the two earbuds end. The Realme Buds Air comes with a much more compact and rounder charging case. When you keep the two cases side by side, you can see that the AirPods 2 case is slightly longer and thinner than the Realme one. To be honest, the AirPods case looks a bit more refined than what Realme offers but that’s expected given the huge price difference.

The Realme Buds Air charging case features a pairing button on the front with an LED light. On the other hand, the AirPods 2 case features the button at the back with the text: Designed by Apple California. Similarly, the Realme case features the text: Designed by Realme on its back. But I wish Realme had implemented a better design for opening the case. The back design looks pretty cheap.

You can charge the Realme case with a USB-C port at the bottom, while the AirPods 2 case takes in a lightning connector.

While there are some similarities between the Realme Buds Air and the AirPods 2, the former can really stand up on its own as competitive TWS earbuds in its price segment (Rs. 3999 on Flipkart). We have been testing them for the past few days and our first impressions have been quite positive. Wait for our full review of the Realme Buds Air in the next couple of days.

Till then, you can check out our latest review of the Huawei Freebuds 3 where we pit it against the industry leader: AirPods Pro. We feel the Freebuds 3 with active noise canceling sounds amazing for a wireless headphone and is a competitive alternative to the AirPods Pro that’s way more expensive.

UP NEXT: Huami Amazfit TWS earbuds to launch at CES 2020 next month

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OPPO has had a busy year so far, releasing two Reno generations within six months, along with a bunch of other smartphones and accessories. The company’s VP, Brian Shen, never shies away from teasing new models, and today, he revealed that OPPO is also working on a true wireless headset. 

OPPO has been involved in the audio business for a while, and the company’s high-end headphones have received rave reviews for its excellent quality output. It recently released the OPPO Enco Q1 noise-canceling wireless neckband headphones in China for under $100. Now, it looks like we’ll see yet another headphone from the company, a true wireless earbuds. 

TWS is a growing accessory segment, and almost all major smartphone makers, including Xiaomi, Meizu, Huawei, and Vivo, have at least one TWS headphone model. So it’s no surprise that OPPO is looking to grab a share of this market. However, given OPPO’s history with headphones, it could focus on the premium segment of the earbuds industry with its upcoming TWS headset. 

Editor’s Pick: Xiaomi Airdots Pro 2 TWS Earphones Review: Pocket Size And Comfortable Fit

Apart from this, Brian Shen also revealed that he is looking forward to ColorOS 7. The company had announced the ColorOS 6 version back in November 2018, so a new update to the OS is due very soon. Note that the ColorOS 6 only started appearing on smartphones after March 2019, so even if the new version is announced this year, don’t expect it on your smartphones anytime soon. 

OPPO’s ColorOS has often been criticized for bloatware and heavy customizations. But things could change with the ColorOS 7 release. Realme’s CEO, Madhav Sheth, recently revealed that Realme would get an exclusive version of ColorOS 7, which will be very close to stock Android experience. 

We don’t know what kind of features to expect from the new ColorOS 7 version, but we should hear more about it very soon. 

UP NEXT: Reports claim brand new Oppo Reno S to launch in India in December

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In the past couple of years, flagships have started to come without dedicated headphone jacks. What was once considered as an irreplaceable part of a smartphone, now is an expendable feature. Missing headphone jack could only mean two things: you’d have to shift to a USB Type-C adapter/headphones, or get a good pair of Bluetooth earphones. Naturally, with the increase in demand from flagship users, we have seen a recent surge in Bluetooth earphones and many of them have turned out to be quite good.

I recently had the opportunity to review the Meizu POP True Wireless Bluetooth earphones (TW50) and it was quite impressive. Given that I have been using the OnePlus Bullets Wireless for some time, the Meizu POP was a pleasant addition to my affordable (just $69.99 w/ coupon below) wireless earphones collection. In many ways, its superior to the Bullets Wireless, but there are a few things that you have to keep in mind if you are planning to shift to this earphones as your daily driver. Read my complete review of the Meizu POP TW50 Wireless Bluetooth earphones below.

Meizu POP TW50 Earphones Design

The Meizu POP TW50 earphones have a non-intrusive design. Unlike other Bluetooth earphones with a neckband, the POP is truly wireless featuring just two earphones that snugly fit in your ears. The fit is firm, so even if you are running or involved in any activity, the chances of the earphones falling out of your ears are very slim. Note that each earphone weighs just 5.8 grams! So you’d hardly notice its presence while running or during any other activity.

The POP comes in just one color option — all white.

There are two major parts of the Meizu POP earphones. First is the pair of earphones which go in your ears. The other half consists of the Magnetic charging case. This is where the company tries to impress, first by including Qi-based Wireless charging support and second, by using magnets to ensure that the earphones neatly tuck themselves in the case in the right position and immediately starts charging.

Talking about the magnetic charging case/box, it also features a premium all-white design with the Meizu logo up front. There are four LED indicators showing you the amount of charge remaining. You can charge the earphones up to four times with this case, and it’s quite evident from the indicators as well. There’s a button at the back (which btw is very easy to miss) which shows you the charge left in the box.

The box is magnetic and there’s a kind of satisfaction you get every time you see it open and close. Inside, the case has two slots for the two earphones. Note that you have to place the earphones in their correct slots in order for them to fit in perfectly. The slots are magnetic as well, so the earphones smoothly slide into their positions and start charging. Overall, the experience is flawless and satisfying.

Coming to the pair of earphones, once again you have to be careful about which earphones goes into which ear. For convenience, both the earphones are marked with ‘L’ and ‘R’ labels. Both of them have a snug fit and are very comfortable for extended use.

At the start of this review, I mentioned that the Meizu POP earphones had a non-intrusive design. I came to this conclusion after taking a close look at its notification light as well. The blue colored light on the earphones lights up only once when you take them out of the case (they turn on automatically) or keep them inside (they turn off instantly). Also, if you keep the earphones disconnected outside the box for some time, they switch off automatically. You have to long press both the earphones individually to turn them on again. Another instance where the blue light comes up is when you are pairing them to a smartphone or smartwatch. In short, the light won’t interfere in your day to day use.

Meizu POP TW50 Earphones Sound Quality

I know people are different when it comes to their music preferences. So, right at the start, I ‘ll say that I’m not a very big fan of bass heavy headphones. I like the perfect mix of highs and lows with a good amount of bass so that I get to enjoy a wide range of music. In this regard, the Meizu POP doesn’t disappoint at all.

The POP comes with a rich stereo sound and each note is crisp and clear. It’s definitely better than the OnePlus Bullets Wireless when it comes to sound quality and when you directly compare the two side by side, the OnePlus earphones does sound a bit hollow.

The bass is good, it’s not very heavy which is something I prefer. This means I get to enjoy the strong mids and treble. The earphone is able to play a good range of sounds with ease and I haven’t really seen them crack even on the highest volume levels. In fact, I was always happy to keep the volume level just above the middle as it was loud enough on most occasions. Further, the earphones have pretty good noise cancellation which means you can enjoy high-quality music even when you are in a noisy surrounding.

Overall, in terms of sound quality, you cannot go wrong with the Meizu POP Wireless earphones. I was very much impressed by its sound quality and despite its tiny form factor, the POP manages to impress you with its rich sound output. For its price, you’d definitely be impressed.

Meizu POP TW50 Earphones Usage

The Meizu POP TW50 earphones are very easy to use. You just have to take out the earphones out of its charging box and both the earphones switch on immediately and are ready to pair. If you have paired the headphones with your smartphone before, they connect to the phone immediately when you take them out. I haven’t had a single issue when it comes to the process of pairing.

So, the moment you take them out of the case, you are good to go. I have used the earphones in a number of scenarios and never have they failed to impress. Be it for running on the road, hitting the gym, or even listening to music right beside a construction site, the POP turned out to be my perfect partner. I’m impressed with its noise cancellation and it has actually helped me have a really good time even in relatively noisy environments.

As mentioned before, the earphones have a really firm fit and only once did one of the units come out loose from my ear. But that was when I was running and I hadn’t really pushed it in firmly. Overall, I can say that the earphones are designed in a way to ensure that it doesn’t fall off your ears easily.

While the earphones sound great and have a firm fit, they aren’t without issues. For example, I did have the occasional lag and jitter when listening to music. Also, note that since it comes with such a compact form factor, you can’t really obstruct its field of view. A simple act like covering your ears with your hands is good enough to break the connection for a few seconds.

That said, in my day to day usage, apart from experiencing patchy streaming a few times, I didn’t really have any significant issues. Most of the time, the playback was smooth and jitter free and that’s good enough for me. It’s worth mentioning that I find the OnePlus Bullets wireless to have better connectivity than the Meizu POP earphones. However, it’s not really a deal breaker and I still find the POP to be superior in the overall experience.

Another thing worth noting, which is not really an issue with this headphones, rather an issue with true wireless earphones design in general, is that I find it tough to talk to people with the headphones on. As mentioned above, thanks to its noise-canceling feature, it’s hard to hear what the other person is speaking with the headphones on. This means you have to remove them when you are speaking to someone for a while. This brings the big question of where to tuck them away during this time. I have had instances where I had to hold the earphones in my hand for some time because I was not comfortable keeping them in my pocket for extended durations. It’s so light and compact that I’m always afraid that I ‘ll lose one of them accidentally. Also, if you are outside without your bag, it doesn’t make sense to carry the charging case around. This means the best place to keep your earphones is going to be your pocket. Personally, I am not comfortable doing that. But it could be just a personal thing.

Another thing that I don’t like about the earphones is its microphone. Simply put, the microphone sucks and it’s not meant to be used to talk on the phone. But you have a tweak. All you have to do is remove the right earphone and place it near your mouth. This way you can talk for hours, but it’s not really a handsfree experience. It’s definitely one of the drawbacks of its design.

Meizu POP TW50 Earphones Touch Controls

One of the highlights of the Meizu POP TW50 earphones is the touch controls. They work pretty well, but there’s a small learning curve. You just have to know four main controls. Single tap pause/play the track. Double tap on the right earphone takes you to the next track and the same action on the left one takes you to the previous track. Triple tap on the earphone would start your google assistant. Finally, long press the right/left earphone to increase/decrease the volume.

These controls are written clearly on the manual. The additional info that you need to know is that the earphones better work with firm presses than taps. Single tap to play and pause a track seemed to work flawlessly on my unit. However, I had a really hard time figuring out how to make it go to the next/previous track. Double tap simply paused/played the track on most occasions. It took me a while to figure out that I had to firmly press the right/left earphone twice to actually make it move one track forward / back. So, you’ll need some practice to get it right all the time. Imagine doing this while running — it’s definitely not as easy as clicking a physical button. But once you get used to the controls, things do get better.

I have to note that the headphone does well to avoid accidental touch recognition. So if you are just adjusting its fit, it does well not to interfere with your music playback.

Meizu POP TW50 Earphones Battery

What is one of the biggest highlights of the earphone is also its biggest drawbacks. The POP comes with a true wireless design, which means there’s not a lot of room to fit in a large battery.

Each earphone carries a battery capacity of 85mAh and the charging case comes with a total capacity of 700mAh. According to official figures, this is good enough for 3 hours of continuous music playback on the earphones in a single charge. With the case included, you can get four more complete charges. However, at a time, you get only up to 3 hours of continuous playback. I have personally managed to get just over 3 hours of music from these earphones, which is pretty much what’s mentioned in the official description.

It seems as if the four indicators on the charging case are like four charge cycles. With each full charge, you lose one indicator. It’s pretty neat.

Since I didn’t find any official figure for the time taken by each earphone to charge inside the unit, I decided to check it out myself. In my personal experience, the earphones charge up to 60% in 30 minutes inside the charging box. They get to nearly 100% in an hour. However, the 700mAh charging box took some time to charge completely. I had to keep it on a fast charging USB brick for nearly 3 hours to get it from 0% to 100% (all four indicators are lit up!). You can even charge it wirelessly, however, I didn’t have a wireless charging base with me at the time of review, so couldn’t test it out in action.

Meizu POP TW50 Earphones: Who should buy it?

After reading this Meizu POP Earphones review, I guess you must have a fair idea about its targeted audience. The earphones are ideal for someone who wants non-intrusive wireless Bluetooth earphones which looks good, works flawlessly, and good for playback up to 3 hours. It’s not at all ideal for people who are hooked on music or movies for extended hours. Remember that there’s nearly an hour’s delay if you want to use your earphones once it goes out of charge. However, I believe for most users out there, 3 hours of continuous playback with 1-hour charging cycle inside the case is pretty decent.

If you are okay with the battery life of the Meizu POP, I would definitely recommend it over the OnePlus Wireless Bullets headphones. I know its cheaper and widely available than the POP, but POP’s design definitely looks futuristic, the sound quality is great, and the overall experience is worth the additional money.

We managed to get a special coupon for our readers on gizmochina. If you are interested in getting the Meizu POP earphones, you can currently get it for just $69.99 which is a solid deal for its sound quality! Just use the coupon (valid for first 50 buyers!): 1QDn0IWm and head over to Gearbest to order the earphones. 

Meizu may not be as popular as Xiaomi or Huawei, but it knows how to make quality products. The company started off as making music players so it definitely knows its stuff. The Meizu POP is yet another prime example of how the company is offering solid value for money with its products. In case you missed our Meizu 16th review, do check it out from below.

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