Beats Solo Buds Deliver 18-Hour Battery Life for $80

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Key Takeaways

  • Beats has introduced the Solo Buds and Solo 4 headphones.
  • The Solo Buds last a full 18 hours on battery and have a very small charging case.
  • The Solo 4 promises better audio quality and longer battery life.

Beats has introduced two new wireless earphone lines led by the Solo Buds, entry-level earbuds that offer a very high 18 hours of battery life.

The Solo Buds also represent Beats’ smallest earbuds to date. Combined with ergonomic nozzles and vents, they should be comfortable in a wider range of ears. The charging case is also the smallest the Apple-owned brand has made — they should fit easily in your pocket.

There’s no active noise cancellation, head tracking spatial audio, or wireless charging. A five-minute charge over USB-C provides up to an hour of listening, however, and you can charge directly from your phone.

The Beats Solo Buds will be available for $80 starting in June. While they don’t have the intelligence of Apple AirPods, the price is competitive for the segment. Android support is stronger than with AirPods, too. The 18-hour battery life is also very rare for any wireless earbuds. You could wear these for two whole workdays before needing to charge.

The Solo 4 is a refinement of Beats’ long-serving Solo 3. The company touted a higher-quality sound with customized, head tracking spatial audio.You can expect fewer artifacts and distortion, as well as better call quality.

Beats Solo 4

Beats also claimed a more comfortable, durable design that is lightweight at just under 7.7oz. Battery life is longer as it is with the Solo Buds, with Beats estimating up to 50 hours of playback and five hours from a 10-minute recharge.

The Solo 4 is available to order now for $200. While that’s not as aggressive a price as for the Solo Buds, Beats is clearly betting that the signature headphone style and improved sound will help spur demand.