6 things you need to know about the new Beats Solo Buds, the brand’s smallest and most affordable true wireless earbuds to date
Beats is back! After what feels like forever, the hip audio brand has been steadily releasing new headphones (and maybe other products). The latest cohort of Beats products includes the already-available Beats Solo 4 and the soon-to-be-released Beats Solo Buds.
The Solo Buds are a brand-new addition to the Solo line. These tiny earbuds are remarkable for quite a few reasons, six of which are listed below. The headphones won’t become available until 6 June 2024, but we know that they will come in four colours: Matte Black, Storm Gray, Arctic Purple and the Beats-signature Transparent Red.
We also know they will be super affordable, selling for only $80/ £80/ AU$130, making them the cheapest Beats true wireless earbuds to date. Are they worth the wait? We think so; here are six reasons why you should be excited about the Beats Solo Buds launch.
Ridiculous battery life
Solo Buds feature Beats’ longest earbud battery life ever, with up to 18 hours of playback, which is just plain ridiculous. It’s practically twice as long as your average TWS earbud battery life, especially considering the Solo Buds' form factor. Plus, thanks to the Fast Fuel feature, a 5-minute charge gives up to one hour of playback.
Better still, the Solo Buds can be charged via a USB-C cable connected to a phone, tablet or laptop (requires iPhone 15 or supported Android devices)! Who needs a chagrin case, anyway?
Powered by Beats
Similar to last year’s Beats headphones, the excellent Beats Studio Buds Plus and the premium Beats Studio Pro, the Solo Buds are built on the company’s proprietary audio platform rather than Apple Silicon. This allows more seamless connectivity to both Apple and Android devices without losing out on additional benefits, such as one-touch pairing, automatic account setup, plus Find My or Find My Device.
More eco-friendly design
Batteries are one of the biggest contributors to portable tech products' carbon footprint. By removing the additional battery from the case, Beats effectively halved the Solo Buds' carbon footprint (this is an estimation, not an official number, though). Furthermore, the packaging is 100% fibre-based, using recycled material from sustainably managed forests.
No IP rating
Many people use Beats headphones for workouts, and we’re sure some will use the Solo Buds for running; however, it’s worth keeping in mind that the earbuds aren’t IP-rated. This doesn’t mean they aren’t resilient – it just means the company didn’t test it against water and dust ingress. We’d suggest considering a different model, like the Beats Fit Pro, for sweaty workouts.
Ear-friendly design
In addition to being small, the Beats Solo Buds feature ergonomically designed acoustic nozzles and laser-cut vents to improve audio performance while relieving pressure in your ears. Better still, you get four ear tips (XS, S, M, and L) in the box to ensure the best fit and maximum passive noise isolation.
Packs a punch
The Beats Solo Buds feature dual-layer transducers said to minimise micro-distortions across the frequency curve, ensuring high-fidelity sound with uncompromising clarity and detail. The custom-designed microphone is powered by an advanced noise-learning algorithm. Thanks to industry-leading Class 1 Bluetooth.
Head over to Beats for more info on the Solo Buds.
