Apple’s AirPods are pretty cool. They’re miniscule and work very well, even if they do look like the head of an electric toothbrush. But if you don’t like Apple gear, there are alternatives out there that do the same thing. Sometimes these tiny wireless in-ears are referred to as ‘hearables’, but whatever you want to call them we’ve got a list of three of our favourites — all completely wireless, and all with their own tiny charging cases.
Sol Republic Amps
Sol Republic says its Amps earbuds don’t need any kind of complicated fitting gear or ear-hooks that press against your delicate cartilage, with “specially designed air grooves” that grip your ear like a tyre grips the road. You’ll get three hours’ playback from each bud, and the charging case holds another 15 charges for 45 hours of total juice. Sol Republic’s Amps earbuds are $199, so come in at a slightly cheaper asking price than Apple’s equally wireless ‘buds. We’re giving them a test drive soon, so we’ll let you know exactly how we find them.
Jabra Elite Sport
Jabra’s $329 Elite Sport are earbuds that stick out of your ears slightly, but that have buttons built in for phone-free volume and playback control. I’ve been using the Elite Sport for a month, and I’ve found them both really comfortable and with sound quality that has a bit more low-frequency oomph than the AirPods. Battery life isn’t as good either from the earphones themselves or the bundled charging case, but it’s good enough that you can get through a couple of days before needing to plug the case in for a full recharge.
Samsung Gear IconX
Samsung was actually one of the first out of the gates with the fully wireless, Bluetooth-enabled Gear IconX in Australia, which will set you back around about $220 if you shop around. If you have a Samsung phone and you use the S Health app for tracking your fitness data, the IconX can funnel your step tracking and heart rate info into that. Beyond that, they’re just good sounding wireless headphones.