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jeudi 11 juin 2020

Xiaomi Mi Band 5 launches with 1.2″ color screen, NFC, and magnetic charging

Xiaomi’s Mi Band series is highly praised in the fitness tracker segment for offering several value features at a very affordable price. With each new generation, the Mi Band fitness trackers gain new functionality compelling existing users to upgrade and new users to get onboard. Last year on June 11th, Xiaomi announced the Mi Band 4 with a colored OLED display and support for a plethora of official and third-party watchfaces for just about $30 and its value allowed Xiaomi to sell a million units in just a week after its launch. Exactly after a year, Xiaomi is launching Mi Band 4’s successor – the Mi Band 5 – with a larger colored AMOLED display, improved fitness tracking, and a magnetic charging dock.

Quite evidently, the first feature to grab users’ attention will be the slightly larger display. The upgraded display on the Mi Band 5 measures 1.2″ diagonally and stretches across a 20% bigger area than 0.95″ display on the previous generation. With this, the Mi Band 5 will also get 100+ new animated watchfaces with characters from popular animated series such as Neon Genesis Evangelion, Case Closed, Hatsune Miku, and SpongeBob SquarePants.

The animated watchfaces from these franchises will be accompanied by matching colored bands as seen in the images below:

mi band 5 special edition xiaomi fitness tracker band xiaomi fitness tracker band mi band 5 spongebob squarepants

The second massive design change is the new magnetically attaching charging dock. Two electrodes stick out of the bottom part of the Mi Band 5 to which the charging dock automatically hooks – even though it will not be backwards compatible with the older generations for which the tracker had to be taken out of the strap and placed into a charging cradle. The new magnetic charging dock eliminates the need for taking the tracker out of the strap or ensuring that it sits properly on the cradle – which has been a problem for older versions just as Aamir mentioned in his Mi Band 4 review.

xiaomi mi band 5 charging dock xiaomi mi band 5 display

Xiaomi is launching some new dual-toned straps along with the band. These new bands with the black part wrapping the fitness tracker might set off the illusion that the steps are connected to the two far ends of the body instead of being an entire removable/replaceable strap.

The Mi Band 5 also gets an improved processor for faster and more accurate tracking. Besides 11 fitness tracking modes, female users can use the fitness band to tracking their menstrual cycles. The fitness band will also offer a PAI (Personal Activity Intelligence) score to help you contextualize how physical activities contribute to your fitness. For more efficient sleep tracking, the Mi Band 5 will now also report REM sleep beside deep and light sleep.

Further, the tracker also comes with an inbuilt barometer to gauge the atmospheric pressure and can also be used as a remote shutter button for taking images on the phone from a distance.

Just like the older versions, the fitness band will also support NFC payments in China.

Price & Availability

Xiaomi will start selling the Mi Band 5 in China starting June 18th. The non-NFC variant is priced at CNY 189 (~$27) while the NFC version will be sold for CNY 229 (~$32).

Xiaomi Mi Band 5 Specifications

Specs Mi Band 5
Size and weight TBA
Materials Polycarbonate
Wrist band Silicone
Compatibility Android, iPhone
SoC unspecified
RAM/Storage unspecified
Network NA
Display 1.2-inch AMOLED ( x  px)
Connectivity Bluetooth v5
GPS NA
Sensors Heart rate sensor, accelerometer, barometer, proximity sensor
NFC payments Yes
Battery mAh
Water resistance 50m up to 30 minutes in freshwater

 

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Realme Band’s v8.0 update finally adds music controls, stopwatch, and a heart rate reminder function

Realme launched the Realme Band in India alongside the Realme 6 series, in March 2020. For the company, the Band represented its first attempt at piercing into a market that has seen domination from the likes of the Mi Band, staying true to the company’s attempt at competing with Xiaomi across all product segments. While ambitions were high and the stakes even higher, the Realme Band was visibly a first-generation product, with shortcomings that dragged it down from being a true competitor worthy of recommendation. Realme has attempted to fix the imperfections with software updates for the Band, and the latest Realme Band v8.0 update brings over music controls, stopwatch, and a heart rate reminder to the company’s first fitness tracker.

The v8.0 firmware update for the Realme Band comes with the following changelog:

  • Add Heart Rate reminder function
  • Add Music Control function
  • Add Stopwatch function
  • Fix some known bugs

The fine print mentions that the Realme Band can only support two of the features at a time i.e. only two can be displayed, which is a bummer.

One of the biggest downsides with the Realme Band was its poor display brightness, which rendered the display rather useless when outdoors. Realme attempted to “fix” the issue with a software update that ramped up the brightness. While the brightness did increase, it still is nowhere enough to stand its own ground when out and about in the sun. This experience is in contrast with the company’s audio accessories, namely truly wireless earbuds in the form of the Realme Buds Air and Realme Buds Air Neo, which have performed admirably for their price point.

Realme Buds Air TWS XDA Review: Desirable truly wireless audio meets Realme’s reliability

Realme has also launched its second fitness product, the Realme Watch, which seemingly competes against the Amazfit Bip S in India.

The post Realme Band’s v8.0 update finally adds music controls, stopwatch, and a heart rate reminder function appeared first on xda-developers.



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mercredi 10 juin 2020

Realme Band’s v8.0 update finally adds music controls, stopwatch, and a heart rate reminder function

Realme launched the Realme Band in India alongside the Realme 6 series, in March 2020. For the company, the Band represented its first attempt at piercing into a market that has seen domination from the likes of the Mi Band, staying true to the company’s attempt at competing with Xiaomi across all product segments. While ambitions were high and the stakes even higher, the Realme Band was visibly a first-generation product, with shortcomings that dragged it down from being a true competitor worthy of recommendation. Realme has attempted to fix the imperfections with software updates for the Band, and the latest Realme Band v8.0 update brings over music controls, stopwatch, and a heart rate reminder to the company’s first fitness tracker.

The v8.0 firmware update for the Realme Band comes with the following changelog:

  • Add Heart Rate reminder function
  • Add Music Control function
  • Add Stopwatch function
  • Fix some known bugs

The fine print mentions that the Realme Band can only support two of the features at a time i.e. only two can be displayed, which is a bummer.

One of the biggest downsides with the Realme Band was its poor display brightness, which rendered the display rather useless when outdoors. Realme attempted to “fix” the issue with a software update that ramped up the brightness. While the brightness did increase, it still is nowhere enough to stand its own ground when out and about in the sun. This experience is in contrast with the company’s audio accessories, namely truly wireless earbuds in the form of the Realme Buds Air and Realme Buds Air Neo, which have performed admirably for their price point.

Realme Buds Air TWS XDA Review: Desirable truly wireless audio meets Realme’s reliability

Realme has also launched its second fitness product, the Realme Watch, which seemingly competes against the Amazfit Bip S in India.

The post Realme Band’s v8.0 update finally adds music controls, stopwatch, and a heart rate reminder function appeared first on xda-developers.



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Adobe Photoshop Camera is now available for download on the Google Play Store

The AI-powered Adobe Photoshop Camera app, which was announced late last year in November, is now available for download on the Google Play Store. The latest app from Adobe joins the long list of third-party camera apps available on the Play Store, but it has something unique to offer. The app makes use of Adobe’s artificial intelligence platform Sensei to recognize subjects in your photos and recommends the best filters that you can use to take your photos to the next level. We got our first look at the app back in December last year when Adobe released a preview version and we were quite impressed by its capabilities. Now, you can follow the Play Store link below to try it out for yourself.

Adobe Photoshop Camera Adobe Photoshop Camera Adobe Photoshop Camera

The Photoshop Camera app aims to simplify the way you edit your photos by providing a variety of features that will help you make adjustments with minimal effort on your part. The app offers over 80 custom filters that you can try either in real-time on the viewfinder or while editing your photos at a later stage. These include filters like Portrait, Studio Light, Bloom, Pop Art, Spectrum, Desync, Food, Scenery, Natural Skies, and more. Along with the filters, the app also offers real-time Photoshop effects that will help you capture better photos using AI-powered editing, an auto-tune feature to automatically adjust brightness and shadows, content-aware recommendations, auto-masking, and portrait controls.

Furthermore, the app offers influencer-inspired lenses that will help you edit your photos using custom-designed lenses from your favorite creators. Adobe has already roped in Billie Eilish, who has released a limited edition lens for the app that you can try right away. In case you don’t like any of the influencer lenses, you also get the option to create your own and share them with other users on the app.

Adobe Photoshop Camera (Free, Google Play) →

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Adobe Photoshop Camera is now available for download on the Google Play Store

The AI-powered Adobe Photoshop Camera app, which was announced late last year in November, is now available for download on the Google Play Store. The latest app from Adobe joins the long list of third-party camera apps available on the Play Store, but it has something unique to offer. The app makes use of Adobe’s artificial intelligence platform Sensei to recognize subjects in your photos and recommends the best filters that you can use to take your photos to the next level. We got our first look at the app back in December last year when Adobe released a preview version and we were quite impressed by its capabilities. Now, you can follow the Play Store link below to try it out for yourself.

Adobe Photoshop Camera Adobe Photoshop Camera Adobe Photoshop Camera

The Photoshop Camera app aims to simplify the way you edit your photos by providing a variety of features that will help you make adjustments with minimal effort on your part. The app offers over 80 custom filters that you can try either in real-time on the viewfinder or while editing your photos at a later stage. These include filters like Portrait, Studio Light, Bloom, Pop Art, Spectrum, Desync, Food, Scenery, Natural Skies, and more. Along with the filters, the app also offers real-time Photoshop effects that will help you capture better photos using AI-powered editing, an auto-tune feature to automatically adjust brightness and shadows, content-aware recommendations, auto-masking, and portrait controls.

Furthermore, the app offers influencer-inspired lenses that will help you edit your photos using custom-designed lenses from your favorite creators. Adobe has already roped in Billie Eilish, who has released a limited edition lens for the app that you can try right away. In case you don’t like any of the influencer lenses, you also get the option to create your own and share them with other users on the app.

Adobe Photoshop Camera (Free, Google Play) →

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Redmi Earbuds S Review: Inarguably the best entry-level TWS earbuds

While truly wireless earbuds have been around for several years now, a lot of the good options out there are pricey while most of the affordable ones are rather unimpressive. Xiaomi aims to change that with its new Redmi Earbuds S which were launched in India late last month. Priced at ₹1,799, the Redmi Earbuds S seem to be a great pair of wireless earbuds, at least on paper. But with so many mediocre options currently available in this price segment, it’s natural for one to be skeptical of Xiaomi’s new wireless earbuds. However, after using the Redmi Earbuds S extensively over the last two weeks, I can assure you that they’re easily one of the best, if not the best, TWS earbuds that you can get at this price point.

The Redmi Earbuds S check almost all the boxes for a good pair of TWS earbuds thanks to their compact and comfortable design, decent audio output, and a good selection of features. While the earbuds aren’t perfect by any means, almost all of the shortcomings can be overlooked when the price is taken into account, and that’s exactly what makes the earbuds a great buy. That being said, here’s our review of the Redmi Earbuds S.

Note: Xiaomi India sent us a pair of Redmi Earbuds S for review. However, the company did not have any input into the content of this review.

Design

The Redmi Earbuds S come in a compact pill-shaped charging case that has a matte black finish and minimal Redmi branding on the lid. The case features a micro-USB port for charging, precise cutouts with magnets to safely house the earbuds, and a magnetic lid to keep everything secure when the earbuds are not in use. The case doesn’t include any buttons or indicator LED, with the latter meaning that there’s no way to tell the current battery level of the case.

The earbuds are also pill-shaped and have the same matte black finish. Each earbud has a single tactile button on the outer surface, which also houses the indicator LEDs. The LEDs glow red when the earbuds are charging, white when they’re completely charged, and blink white when they’re in pairing mode. Over on the other side, the earbuds have the charging contacts and a silicone tip. The earbuds come with the medium-sized silicone tips preinstalled and Xiaomi includes both small and large-sized tips in the box. Thanks to the silicone tips and the compact shape, the earbuds fit securely and don’t fall out even during intense workout sessions or while running. They can easily be worn for hours on end without any discomfort. The earbuds are rated IPX4 for water resistance, so they’re protected against occasional splashes and sweat, but the case itself isn’t water-resistant.

Redmi Earbuds S

As far as the design is concerned, I don’t have any major complaints with the Redmi Earbuds S. However, there are a couple of things worth noting that might be deal-breakers for you. The case is made of cheap plastic and doesn’t seem durable. It creaks and clicks when you press lightly between the earbud cutouts which made me initially think that there was an unmarked button there. The lid and hinge also feel quite flimsy, which leads me to believe that the case might not survive a fall from waist height. I haven’t tried that, though, and I would advise that you don’t try that either. It’s also worth noting that Xiaomi doesn’t ship a micro-USB charging cable with the Redmi Earbuds S which is definitely disappointing but can be written off as a cost-cutting measure.

Features

Now that we’ve got the design out of the way, let’s take a look at the features. The Redmi Earbuds S offers a substantial list of features for a pair of truly wireless earphones in this price range. Starting off with the pairing process, Xiaomi has done away with the complicated master-slave pairing process from the Mi AirDots S and has opted for a much simpler and faster pairing process for the Redmi Earbuds S. The earbuds automatically start pairing to each other as soon as you pull them out of the case and the process takes about 2-3 seconds.

Once the earbuds are paired with each other, the LED indicator slowly blinks white after which you can pair it with your smartphone. After you pair the earbuds to your smartphone, they will automatically connect to the device as soon as they’re pulled out of the case. Due to the fact that the earbuds don’t make use of a master-slave connection, they can also be used individually. To do so, you can place one of the earbuds back into the charging case and the remaining earbud will switch to the single-earbud mode. Removing the other earbud from the charging case will automatically turn on the dual-earbud mode.

As mentioned earlier, both the earbuds feature a single tactile button on the outer surface that can be used to perform a variety of functions. You can accept/end calls by clicking the button once, reject calls by pressing and holding the button for one second, play/pause music by clicking the button once, and double click to bring up the voice assistant. When you’re in a call and you receive another call, you can answer the other call by clicking the button once and switch between calls by double-clicking. To switch to your smartphone during a call, you can press and hold the button for 1 second. During an ongoing call, you can also mute/unmute the earbuds by double-clicking the button.

Additionally, the Redmi Earbuds S also features a low-latency Game Mode which can be enabled by clicking the button three times. The Game Mode greatly reduces audio delay, and Xiaomi claims that turning on the Game Mode can reduce the latency to just 122ms. In my testing, I noticed that turning on the Game Mode did, in fact, reduce the latency considerably which was quite useful while playing shooting games like PUBG Mobile and Call Of Duty: Mobile. However, the latency with Game Mode still isn’t nearly as good as when using wired earphones. Additionally, using Game Mode can take a toll on battery life, so your gaming sessions might not last all that long.

Redmi Earbuds S review

For connectivity, the Redmi Earbuds S supports Bluetooth 5.0 and includes support for the SBC Bluetooth audio codec. The earbuds also include environmental noise cancellation for voice calls for better call quality in noisy environments. While the feature set on offer is pretty extensive, there are a few features that I sorely missed on the Redmi Earbuds S. The lack of any volume adjustment and track switching options on the earbuds was a bit annoying, but that’s a sacrifice you have to be willing to make if you’re going to purchase a pair of sub-₹2,000 TWS earbuds.

Redmi Earbuds S Audio Quality

Before coming to the most crucial part of this review, the audio quality of the Redmi Earbuds S, I would like to clarify that human interpretation of audio is largely subjective and heavily depends on your preferred genre of music. This is why there’s a chance you might not agree with my observations about the audio quality of the Redmi Earbuds S.

The Redmi Earbuds S are powered by 7.2mm drivers, and Xiaomi claims that it has tuned the sound profile of the earbuds to match the music preferences of Indian buyers. In effect, this means that the earbuds offer punchy bass, muddled mids, and clean highs. Even though they’re limited to the SBC Bluetooth audio codec, the Redmi Earbuds S sound good when compared to other truly wireless earbuds in this price range. For the purpose of this review, I listened to the following playlist which consists of songs across a decent range of genres.

Playlist

  • Hometown – French 79
  • Teardrop – Massive Attack
  • Safety – Gashi (ft. DJ Snake)
  • Panda – Meute
  • Time Goes By – Kupla
  • Seven Nation Army – The White Stripes
  • Mad World – Gary Jules (ft. Michael Andrews)
  • The Blower’s Daughter – Damien Rice
  • Tadow – FKJ
  • Rockstar – Post Malone (ft. 21 Savage)
  • Young Folks – Peter Bjorn and John
  • Wasted Years – Iron Maiden
  • Purusha – NVDES
  • Parallel Jalebi – Four Tet
  • Who We Want to Be – Tom Day

Note: The lack of Bollywood tracks on my list is due to my personal bias. I did not want to listen to music that doesn’t suit my taste, which might have resulted in an unfair rating of the audio quality.

With this selection of songs, I was able to draw the following conclusions about the audio quality of the Redmi Earbuds S. The overall sound signature is quite inoffensive and is best suited for pop music. The earbuds can get pretty loud at max volume but there’s a minor drop in clarity when you turn up the volume over 80%. Even though the bass is punchy, it isn’t overpowering and you can clearly differentiate the mids and highs in bass-heavy tracks at a reasonable volume. If you’re an audiophile (unlike me), you might be able to find a few more shortcomings. But for the average user, the Redmi Earbuds S is capable of offering a pleasant music listening experience.

As far as the call quality is concerned, I faced no issues while taking calls with the Redmi Earbuds S. However, I can’t say the same for the person on the other end. The microphones on the earbuds are just about average at best and don’t sound particularly good in comparison to other, more premium, truly wireless earbuds that I’ve tried so far.

Battery Life

The Redmi Earbuds S pack in a 43mAh battery in each earbud while the charging case features a 300mAh battery. Xiaomi claims that the earbuds can be used for approximately 4 hours on a single charge and, in my testing, I found that figure to be largely accurate. During a binge-watching weekend, the earbuds lasted me about 3 hours and 45 minutes on a single charge at 80% volume. Turning up the volume to 100% while listening to music dropped the battery life to about 3 hours and 20 minutes.

As mentioned earlier, the low-latency Game Mode also takes a toll on battery life, and I was able to use the earbuds for just about 3 hours while playing PUBG. The volume was set at 80% during the entire gaming test. Once the battery runs out on the Redmi Earbuds S, you can use the case to charge the earbuds back up about three times over. This gives us a total playback time of around 11 hours and 15 minutes, which is close to Xiaomi’s 12-hour playback rating. Charging the earbuds from 0-100% using the case took about 2 hours. Due to the lack of a battery level indicator, I wasn’t able to test the charging time of the battery case.

Conclusion

If you’re someone who’s looking to get their first pair of TWS earbuds and have just ₹2,000 to spare, then the Redmi Earbuds S is a no brainer. The earbuds feature a sleek design, offer a comfortable fit, and provide decent audio output. The single button operation, in my opinion, is far better than the finicky touch interfaces on other similarly priced earbuds and the battery life is also quite impressive.

However, if you’re not restricted by budget, you can consider purchasing the more premium Xiaomi Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 which are priced at ₹4,499 and offer significantly better audio output. Furthermore, if you aren’t completely sold on the audio quality and don’t mind neckband style wireless earphones, then you can also go for the recently released OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z which offers better audio quality and fast charging support at ₹1,999.

Buy the Redmi Earbuds S: Amazon.in ||| Mi.com

This article contains affiliate links, which will net XDA a small commission if you purchase a product from clicking a link.

The post Redmi Earbuds S Review: Inarguably the best entry-level TWS earbuds appeared first on xda-developers.



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Redmi Earbuds S Review: Inarguably the best entry-level TWS earbuds

While truly wireless earbuds have been around for several years now, a lot of the good options out there are pricey while most of the affordable ones are rather unimpressive. Xiaomi aims to change that with its new Redmi Earbuds S which were launched in India late last month. Priced at ₹1,799, the Redmi Earbuds S seem to be a great pair of wireless earbuds, at least on paper. But with so many mediocre options currently available in this price segment, it’s natural for one to be skeptical of Xiaomi’s new wireless earbuds. However, after using the Redmi Earbuds S extensively over the last two weeks, I can assure you that they’re easily one of the best, if not the best, TWS earbuds that you can get at this price point.

The Redmi Earbuds S check almost all the boxes for a good pair of TWS earbuds thanks to their compact and comfortable design, decent audio output, and a good selection of features. While the earbuds aren’t perfect by any means, almost all of the shortcomings can be overlooked when the price is taken into account, and that’s exactly what makes the earbuds a great buy. That being said, here’s our review of the Redmi Earbuds S.

Note: Xiaomi India sent us a pair of Redmi Earbuds S for review. However, the company did not have any input into the content of this review.

Design

The Redmi Earbuds S come in a compact pill-shaped charging case that has a matte black finish and minimal Redmi branding on the lid. The case features a micro-USB port for charging, precise cutouts with magnets to safely house the earbuds, and a magnetic lid to keep everything secure when the earbuds are not in use. The case doesn’t include any buttons or indicator LED, with the latter meaning that there’s no way to tell the current battery level of the case.

The earbuds are also pill-shaped and have the same matte black finish. Each earbud has a single tactile button on the outer surface, which also houses the indicator LEDs. The LEDs glow red when the earbuds are charging, white when they’re completely charged, and blink white when they’re in pairing mode. Over on the other side, the earbuds have the charging contacts and a silicone tip. The earbuds come with the medium-sized silicone tips preinstalled and Xiaomi includes both small and large-sized tips in the box. Thanks to the silicone tips and the compact shape, the earbuds fit securely and don’t fall out even during intense workout sessions or while running. They can easily be worn for hours on end without any discomfort. The earbuds are rated IPX4 for water resistance, so they’re protected against occasional splashes and sweat, but the case itself isn’t water-resistant.

Redmi Earbuds S

As far as the design is concerned, I don’t have any major complaints with the Redmi Earbuds S. However, there are a couple of things worth noting that might be deal-breakers for you. The case is made of cheap plastic and doesn’t seem durable. It creaks and clicks when you press lightly between the earbud cutouts which made me initially think that there was an unmarked button there. The lid and hinge also feel quite flimsy, which leads me to believe that the case might not survive a fall from waist height. I haven’t tried that, though, and I would advise that you don’t try that either. It’s also worth noting that Xiaomi doesn’t ship a micro-USB charging cable with the Redmi Earbuds S which is definitely disappointing but can be written off as a cost-cutting measure.

Features

Now that we’ve got the design out of the way, let’s take a look at the features. The Redmi Earbuds S offers a substantial list of features for a pair of truly wireless earphones in this price range. Starting off with the pairing process, Xiaomi has done away with the complicated master-slave pairing process from the Mi AirDots S and has opted for a much simpler and faster pairing process for the Redmi Earbuds S. The earbuds automatically start pairing to each other as soon as you pull them out of the case and the process takes about 2-3 seconds.

Once the earbuds are paired with each other, the LED indicator slowly blinks white after which you can pair it with your smartphone. After you pair the earbuds to your smartphone, they will automatically connect to the device as soon as they’re pulled out of the case. Due to the fact that the earbuds don’t make use of a master-slave connection, they can also be used individually. To do so, you can place one of the earbuds back into the charging case and the remaining earbud will switch to the single-earbud mode. Removing the other earbud from the charging case will automatically turn on the dual-earbud mode.

As mentioned earlier, both the earbuds feature a single tactile button on the outer surface that can be used to perform a variety of functions. You can accept/end calls by clicking the button once, reject calls by pressing and holding the button for one second, play/pause music by clicking the button once, and double click to bring up the voice assistant. When you’re in a call and you receive another call, you can answer the other call by clicking the button once and switch between calls by double-clicking. To switch to your smartphone during a call, you can press and hold the button for 1 second. During an ongoing call, you can also mute/unmute the earbuds by double-clicking the button.

Additionally, the Redmi Earbuds S also features a low-latency Game Mode which can be enabled by clicking the button three times. The Game Mode greatly reduces audio delay, and Xiaomi claims that turning on the Game Mode can reduce the latency to just 122ms. In my testing, I noticed that turning on the Game Mode did, in fact, reduce the latency considerably which was quite useful while playing shooting games like PUBG Mobile and Call Of Duty: Mobile. However, the latency with Game Mode still isn’t nearly as good as when using wired earphones. Additionally, using Game Mode can take a toll on battery life, so your gaming sessions might not last all that long.

Redmi Earbuds S review

For connectivity, the Redmi Earbuds S supports Bluetooth 5.0 and includes support for the SBC Bluetooth audio codec. The earbuds also include environmental noise cancellation for voice calls for better call quality in noisy environments. While the feature set on offer is pretty extensive, there are a few features that I sorely missed on the Redmi Earbuds S. The lack of any volume adjustment and track switching options on the earbuds was a bit annoying, but that’s a sacrifice you have to be willing to make if you’re going to purchase a pair of sub-₹2,000 TWS earbuds.

Redmi Earbuds S Audio Quality

Before coming to the most crucial part of this review, the audio quality of the Redmi Earbuds S, I would like to clarify that human interpretation of audio is largely subjective and heavily depends on your preferred genre of music. This is why there’s a chance you might not agree with my observations about the audio quality of the Redmi Earbuds S.

The Redmi Earbuds S are powered by 7.2mm drivers, and Xiaomi claims that it has tuned the sound profile of the earbuds to match the music preferences of Indian buyers. In effect, this means that the earbuds offer punchy bass, muddled mids, and clean highs. Even though they’re limited to the SBC Bluetooth audio codec, the Redmi Earbuds S sound good when compared to other truly wireless earbuds in this price range. For the purpose of this review, I listened to the following playlist which consists of songs across a decent range of genres.

Playlist

  • Hometown – French 79
  • Teardrop – Massive Attack
  • Safety – Gashi (ft. DJ Snake)
  • Panda – Meute
  • Time Goes By – Kupla
  • Seven Nation Army – The White Stripes
  • Mad World – Gary Jules (ft. Michael Andrews)
  • The Blower’s Daughter – Damien Rice
  • Tadow – FKJ
  • Rockstar – Post Malone (ft. 21 Savage)
  • Young Folks – Peter Bjorn and John
  • Wasted Years – Iron Maiden
  • Purusha – NVDES
  • Parallel Jalebi – Four Tet
  • Who We Want to Be – Tom Day

Note: The lack of Bollywood tracks on my list is due to my personal bias. I did not want to listen to music that doesn’t suit my taste, which might have resulted in an unfair rating of the audio quality.

With this selection of songs, I was able to draw the following conclusions about the audio quality of the Redmi Earbuds S. The overall sound signature is quite inoffensive and is best suited for pop music. The earbuds can get pretty loud at max volume but there’s a minor drop in clarity when you turn up the volume over 80%. Even though the bass is punchy, it isn’t overpowering and you can clearly differentiate the mids and highs in bass-heavy tracks at a reasonable volume. If you’re an audiophile (unlike me), you might be able to find a few more shortcomings. But for the average user, the Redmi Earbuds S is capable of offering a pleasant music listening experience.

As far as the call quality is concerned, I faced no issues while taking calls with the Redmi Earbuds S. However, I can’t say the same for the person on the other end. The microphones on the earbuds are just about average at best and don’t sound particularly good in comparison to other, more premium, truly wireless earbuds that I’ve tried so far.

Battery Life

The Redmi Earbuds S pack in a 43mAh battery in each earbud while the charging case features a 300mAh battery. Xiaomi claims that the earbuds can be used for approximately 4 hours on a single charge and, in my testing, I found that figure to be largely accurate. During a binge-watching weekend, the earbuds lasted me about 3 hours and 45 minutes on a single charge at 80% volume. Turning up the volume to 100% while listening to music dropped the battery life to about 3 hours and 20 minutes.

As mentioned earlier, the low-latency Game Mode also takes a toll on battery life, and I was able to use the earbuds for just about 3 hours while playing PUBG. The volume was set at 80% during the entire gaming test. Once the battery runs out on the Redmi Earbuds S, you can use the case to charge the earbuds back up about three times over. This gives us a total playback time of around 11 hours and 15 minutes, which is close to Xiaomi’s 12-hour playback rating. Charging the earbuds from 0-100% using the case took about 2 hours. Due to the lack of a battery level indicator, I wasn’t able to test the charging time of the battery case.

Conclusion

If you’re someone who’s looking to get their first pair of TWS earbuds and have just ₹2,000 to spare, then the Redmi Earbuds S is a no brainer. The earbuds feature a sleek design, offer a comfortable fit, and provide decent audio output. The single button operation, in my opinion, is far better than the finicky touch interfaces on other similarly priced earbuds and the battery life is also quite impressive.

However, if you’re not restricted by budget, you can consider purchasing the more premium Xiaomi Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 which are priced at ₹4,499 and offer significantly better audio output. Furthermore, if you aren’t completely sold on the audio quality and don’t mind neckband style wireless earphones, then you can also go for the recently released OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z which offers better audio quality and fast charging support at ₹1,999.

Buy the Redmi Earbuds S: Amazon.in ||| Mi.com

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