If the item details above aren’t accurate or complete, we want to know about it. 1 Compatible with iOS and iPadOS 14 or later, MacOS 11 or later, WatchOS 7 or later, and tvOS 14 or later; compatibility will vary on Android devices. So, engineers are limited by weight and size as to how much they can pack into a small package. But don’t get yourself a micro-USB cable or try to plug into one. Speaking of calls, the in-built mics are fine and perfectly adequate for taking calls as long as the conditions aren’t too windy. While these are surely built to replace the bundled EarPods with iPhones, they work very well with Android too and the app brings across some of the previously iOS-only shine.
We don’t love them as much as the top-tier AirPods Pro or even the Powerbeats Pro, but if you just bought a new iPhone and want a pair of affordable Beats earbuds to go with it, the Flex could fit the bill. The Beats Flex headphones are a slightly weird product in this way, because even at their price point, there are actual true wireless buds that you can buy. And naturally enough, Apple has a number of actually wireless buds at higher prices that you could also aspire towards. Inside the Beats Flex is Apple’s W1 chip, and it’s great to see this handy piece of silicon at the heart of these cheaper earphones. Bring the Beats Flex close to an iPhone and – as you do with AirPods – you’ll get instant pairing across all your connected devices. Don’t expect fancy new features like auto-syncing or Spatial Audio as neither of them are supported by this chip.
The earbuds charge via USB-C, and the headphones are packaged with a short USB-C charging cable in the box. Like the iPhone 12, there’s no USB-C charging brick included, so you’ll actually have to invest in one if you don’t already. The earbuds also provide a nice 1.5 hours of extra battery life on a ten-minute fast beats studio3 charge. Available in black, blue, gray, or yellow models, the Flex’s neckband design features two compartments that help keep the cable in place, while also housing ports and controls. The left compartment has a multifunction button that controls various functions , as well as a volume rocker and microphone.
Since they’re fairly small in size and have a flexible plastic and silicone design, you can easily stash them in most pockets or bags without an issue. They have an 11-hour continuous battery life, which should be enough for daily commutes. Unfortunately, they struggle to isolate bass range against noise like bus or plane engines. The people I talked to said I sounded clear and the noise reduction outdoors in noisier environments was good. You can answer and end calls with the button on the left module, where there’s also a rocker switch for volume control. While playing music, tapping the universal control button twice skips tracks forward.
No matter what operating systems run your life, you won’t have any issues with playback or connection stability. In order to switch between devices, you will have to take the time to enter your phone’s Bluetooth settings. You must manually disconnect from the current device, before connecting to the desired device. This isn’t an issue if you live in the Apple ecosystem thanks to the W1 chip, but for the rest of us, that time adds up quickly. At this price, the Beats Flex is a fine deal as they offer a lot of the features found on the AirPods, minus the true wireless design.
At the other extreme, the high-end delivers clean vocals, though again some of the sparkle that pricier headphones serve up wasn’t quite there. The most welcome surprise was to the midrange, where Beats’ earbuds deliver an unexpected level of detail. When you remove the headphones from your ears, a magnetic system “sticks” them together, back to back, and automatically pauses music playback, which beats solo pro wireless is very convenient. You have to fumble a bit at first to find the playback and volume controls on the case, but you get used to it quickly. However, we would have liked the cable between the two boxes to be a little longer, especially if it rests on a jacket and not directly on the neck. My one minor complaint is that the play/pause button is pretty hard to feel out blindly with your thumb.
Once you get used to wearing the buds, finding the controls becomes second nature. It took me a bit of time to get accustomed to how high up the controls are, but once I figured it out, it was smooth sailing from then on out. There was a time when the name “Beats” meant “these headphones have way too much bass.” That time has come and gone , with the Flex going lighter on bass than most other Beats I’ve heard recently. Whether you’re looking to buy your first pair of Bluetooth earphones, then, or you’re the type of person who regularly breaks or loses them, you really can’t go too far wrong with the Beats Flex. They offer unbeatable value for money and should really make you question whether you need to spend more. The only significant shortcoming considering their low price is that the Flex don’t come with any waterproofing.
The UrBeats are wired in-ears which is opposite to the Flex wireless earbuds. You can activate Siri with remote talk in these earphones. Bluetooth 5.0 integration also makes it simpler to pair with android smartphones. The app for android provides additional features, including instant pairing, firmware updates. Beats has redesigned the inline control a bit in Flexes. There are a round multifunction button and a volume rocker on the left side.