Beats is expanding its lineup with two new products: the Beats Solo Buds and Beats Solo 4. The latter is the successor to the company’s most popular headphones, the Beats Solo 3.
Both offerings won’t rival Apple’s AirPods lineup, but if you frequently switch between Android and iPhone, you might like Beats’ new options.
Beats Solo Buds passively block noise
Photo: Beats
The main highlight of the Beats Solo Buds is its long battery life, though this comes at the expense of Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). Instead, they block noise passively. Beats claims the Solo Buds feature “ergonomically designed acoustic nozzles” with vents helping relieve pressure during extended uses. The earbuds ship with four ear tips, including XS, to help you get the perfect fit.
Each earbud ships with a claimed custom-designed microphone and an advanced noise-learning algorithm for crystal-clear call quality. You can customize the ‘b’ button to control music playback, trigger your phone’s voice assistant, or control music playback. It is also possible to customize the button’s long-press action. Other features of the Solo Buds include one-touch pairing for both iOS and Android and Find My or Find My Device integration.
While the Solo Buds won’t win any awards for sound quality, it stands out with its battery life. Beats says the earbuds offer the longest battery life in its lineup, with up to 18 hours of playback. While there’s no wireless charging, the charging case supports fast wired charging over USB-C. This means a 5-minute top-up is enough to provide an additional hour of music playback.
The Beats Solo Buds will launch in black, gray, purple, and transparent red colors in June for $79.99.
Beats Solo 4
Photo: Beats
The Beats Solo 4 arrives nearly eight years after the Solo 3 and packs some meaningful upgrades. The 217-gram heavy headphones feature UltraPlush cushions for top-notch comfort and durability. Internally, the Solo 4 features custom 40mm transducers for improved clarity and minimal distortion. You also get Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking.
Like the Solo Buds, the Solo 4 works with Android and iOS and features Find My/Find My Device integration, one-touch pairing, and a customizable ‘b’ button. In addition to Bluetooth, the headphones have a USB-C port for lossless audio playback and charging. There’s also a 3.5mm port, which will work even when the headphones are low on battery power.
The Beats Solo 4 offers a claimed battery life of up to 5o hours. You can order the headphones starting today in the US for $199.99 in black, blue, and pink colors.