The right controller handles power, while the left features a rocker button for volume control, the USB-C input, and a small button for play/pause or track skipping. The simplicity and low price are what makes the Flex so appealing in the first place, though. They’re a great upgrade from the normal wired earbuds that ship with many phones, like the standard EarPods that used to come with iPhones. If you’re still using an old set of wired buds, this is the best upgrade path for you (assuming you’re not willing to drop at least double the price on a set of true wireless buds, of course). They sound pretty good, are incredibly comfortable, and last about 12 hours on average. For a budget pair of earphones, a lot of thought has gone into the design.
Apart from an aptX codec, the Flybuds C1 lack any other premium features or customization that you find on the Flex. Like all Apple headphones, the Beats Flex use SBC and AAC, the latter being a default Bluetooth codec. Multipoint for seamless switching between devices is possible thanks to the W1 chip, but only between Apple devices. On iOS, you can see a traditional pop-up animation with battery percentage. You can get a similar experience on an Android device if you download the Beats app.
In the interest of symmetry, and I would assume to help with battery life, there’s a second rectangular casing on the right side. It holds the power button on the bottom ridge — exactly opposite the USB jack. The button also has a multi-color LED that lets you know when the Flex is charging, connected or in pairing mode.
And its location, resting against your collarbone, means you won’t mistake the power control for the volume buttons on the top of the other side. A small left side indicator, a grill for a microphone, and a play/pause/skip button. The rocker for volume control is on top.Both earbuds also stick together with the help of magnets. That gives them additional functionality you can adjust in settings. First of all, Beats Flex have 3 different physical buttons built into the 2 control modules.
Beats doesn’t include any kind of pouch with its $50 earbuds, so you’ll just have to carry them loose. Apple has stuck with its W1 headphone chip inside the Beats Flex, giving them the usual instant setup process and synced pairing across devices tied to your iCloud account. It would’ve been nice to have the newer H1 chip, since that’s required for the automatic switching feature between iPhone, iPad, and Mac that’s included as of iOS 14 and macOS Big Sur.
They’re a distinctly low-cost set of wireless Bluetooth headphones that could be a good match for iPhone 12 buyers, given that Apple no longer includes any level of bundled headphones with its new phones. They’re overall a very capable pair of headphones, although the banded design does introduce some comfort issues, especially if you want to use them on the go. Full Flex functionality is plug, play and all part of the package on most Apple devices, and that includes SBC and ACC support for beats studio3 high-end sound quality. Switch to Android with the free Beats companion app and while you don’t lose any functionality per se, there’s no aptX or aptX HD to bump the Bluetooth audio quality. Don’t worry about the battery life, as a rechargeable lithium-ion battery powers this Beats Flex Wireless Earphones. In our time with these affordable wireless earphones, we struggled with them feeling tight in our ears and there are definitely better earphones if your music is all about the bass.
Nevertheless, these are entry-level wireless buds and their main function must surely be an improved wire-free sound over the £19 ($19) EarPods. One useful feature is a set of magnets in the Beats-branded top surfaces of the earbud beats studio3 housings, which are strong enough to find each other when you remove them from your ears. Voila, the whole set-up instantly becomes a secure necklace. Overall, the Beats Flex have a satisfyingly fuss-free build and finish.