Battery power, or battery capacity, represents the amount of electrical energy that a battery can store. More battery power can be an indication of longer battery life. The higher the high-frequency response, the clearer and crispier the treble. The lowest frequency at which the device produces audio. The lower the low-frequency response, the stronger and juicier the bass.
And despite not carrying an IP rating for dust or water protection, a source at Beats tells me the Flex are in fact quite capable of dealing with a sweaty workout. The USB-C charging port is waterproof and the controls have all been sealed against moisture. Positioned on the left earbud wire, it was ideally located to capture speech. The Beats Flex are almost as good, but the location of the mic on the Flex neckband does result in slightly worse quality.
Not only do Beats Flex come with some upgrades, but they also carry a much lower price of just $49.99, representing the most affordable way to get into Apple’s… No matter how much or how little you spend on a pair of headphones, losing one of them is a complete hassle and potentially a waste of money. Not everyone likes worrying about always keeping track of those tic-tack sized earbuds that can get lost just about anywhere because they’re so dang small and not connected to anything else. The W1 chip also means you can use Audio Sharing, the feature that makes it possible for two people to listen to the same device with their own pair of Apple headphones. When you do run out of battery, which will be days later, you can charge up about an hour-and-a-half worth of playback in just 10 minutes using the included USB-C cable and Beats Flex Fast Fuel charging.
If your friend has another pair of Flex, Beats headphones, or AirPods, you can share the audio with them. 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. This chip gives you an easy pairing feature with any Apple devices that are synchronized to iCloud.
You can toggle the automatic play/pause feature, which also applies to calls. Still, it’s worth having installed—you can use it to quickly see the remaining battery percentage of the buds if nothing else. I’ve reviewed a lot of true wireless earbuds over the last year, but it’s been a hot minute since I took a set of neckbuds for a whirl. The Beats Flex have been an excellent reminder that this type of earbud is still such a great choice if you want a solid set of ‘buds that won’t break the bank.
However, those pricier true wireless buds do come with charging cases that allow you to juice them up on the go – unlike the Flex. The Flex buds don’t have the noise cancellation technology offered by pricier brands, but do a decent job of blocking out the noise of passing cars and other potential disturbances. The gadget looks a lot like the now-discontinued Beats X, featuring a flat, flexible cable that hooks the buds together and rests on the back of your neck. Apple takes a lot of effort to provide the best quality products for every Apple user on the planet. Each earbud has a Magnet at the back, so they stick together and create no tangles. It is worth noting that when snapping or unsnapping, there is a little lag before the iPhone responds — around 1–1.5 seconds after you’ve done it.
It’s quite frustrating but acceptable at this price point. These headphones don’t have any official IPX beats solo pro wireless ratings for water and sweat resistance. However, once you get a strong seal, they won’t move too much.
It’s a shame, because while the Beats Flex in-ears still offer a foot-tapping sound and an agile, taut bassline, there’s an extra ounce rolling off through the top end. Where the real functionality comes into play is in Apple’s W1 chip. It’s the older sibling to the more powerful and faster H1 chip found in the AirPods Pro and recent Powerbeats models, but it’s still a smoother operator.
They cannot isolate or reduce low-frequency noise like buses and plane engines. So, Flex earbuds are not suitable for long bus or plane trips. The Flex beats studio3 earphones are decent for mixed usage and casual listening. Their lightweight, portable and bendable structure is ideal for traveling and commuting.