Second, it ensures that when you’re reaching for the buttons they’re easy to find, and you’re not rubbing any external microphones accidentally. That reduces the tearing-like sound that someone might hear on the phone if you’re speaking to them over your Beats headset. Unlike beats studio3 Powerbeats, the Flex don’t have any additional way to grip onto your ears. Beats told us a reason for this – and a reason for the lack of a pouch too – was that most of their customers simply don’t use them. And, to reduce extra unnecessary waste, the company opted to get rid.
The wires pull at the buds so it feels like they might fall out at any time. I would sometimes end up shoving the buds deeper into my ears in an effort to make sure they didn’t pop out. I prefer the small in-ear hooks that the BeatsX had because it helped to anchor the buds in better.
The other thing to note is that although there’s no active noise cancellation on the earphones, if you manage to find an adequate ear fit, you’ll get a good level of passive sound isolation. It doesn’t support iOS 14 features like the ability to automatically switch to another device because the Flex is running on Apple’s H1 chip, but you’ll still get audio sharing, which is neat. They’re three times more expensive than the Flex at $150, but the audio is so much better. They also pack in the latest Apple Bluetooth chip, the H1, so you get access to things like hands-free Siri on top of the quick-pairing.
That’s a very personal matter of course, and some users will have less issue with it. But I found that the presence of the control blocks on the side of my neck was quite annoying, especially when out running. At the same time, the Beats Flex may not be your best option for workouts. The buds don’t have any official IP rating, which means they’re technically not sweat or water-resistant. I haven’t had any issues using them at the gym so far, but the super sweaty may not want to risk it. Sound-wise, stick to processed beats and you’re well served, but dare to go eclectic with your song selections and the end experience feels muted.
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.
If you don’t have a problem with a cable running behind your neck, the Beats Flex are a great surprise with great battery life and decent sound quality for their price. Thanks to the Beats app for Android, they are as easy to pair on Android smartphones beats studio3 as on iPhones. If Apple, owner of Beats, could take inspiration from it and offer a similar Android app for its AirPods .. The Beats Flex feature the Apple W1 chip, which makes Bluetooth pairing on Apple devices as easy as on AirPods.
But after nearly a week of using the $50 Beats Flex, I can’t find a single downside. At $79, the biggest question surrounding the Beats Flex is “do they sound any good?”. After all, $79 is fairly inexpensive in a world where you’re dropping a minimum of $249 on a pair of AirPods. The Beats Flex are a little tinny, frequencies can get muddled on occasion, and there’s not enough sub-bass, but otherwise, they’re solid for the money.