When Apple ditched the headphone jack back in 2017 it was a sure sign that wired headphones were on their way out.
The success of those signature white AirPods, the best selling earbuds in the world according to research by Counterpoint, has meant more and more tech companies are coming up with their own wireless variation too.
Samsung commenced battle earlier this year with its Galaxy Buds, featuring wireless charging and six hours of battery life. Chinese tech brand Mobvoi has an AirPod lookalike with dangerously similar specs and — crucially — a much lower price tag.
Competition is coming from inside Apple Park too with the Beats PowerBeats Pro, the perfect workout accompaniment.
The real question now isn’t whether to go wireless, but which one to go for. This is low-down on cutting the cord in 2019.
1. Apple AirPods 2
USP: The iPhone in an earbud: slick and seamless with super-fast charging.
Best features: The AirPod embodies everything Apple is known for: minimal design, instant pairing and high-quality audio. Connection with your iPhone (or Android) is impressively instant, and it’s packed with cool features such as smart pausing: take one pod out of your ear to talk to someone and the music pauses. Put it back and the music restarts.
Charging is fast: the original AirPods gave you just three hours’ power in just 15 minutes (they’ll hold five hours charge in one sitting) and Apple says the AirPods 2 will “give you 50 percent more hands-free talk time”, plus their new case lets you charge wirelessly.
The second-gen model also comes with hands-free Siri and was expected to get a fitness upgrade: Apple filed a patent in July for biometric sensors, which could allow them to measure heart rate and stroke volume, but it seems that’s being saved for a future model.
Downsides: The price tag. AirPods were already some of the most expensive earbuds on the market and the second model costs an extra £40 if you want the Wireless Charging Case. Not everybody is a fan of Apple’s trademark stem sticking out of their ear.
Price: From £159, apple.com
2. Beats Powerbeats Pro
USP: Beats styling with Apple’s engineering prowess, these earbuds are like the Airpods but perfectly suited for workouts.
Best features: It has to be battery life with the new Powerbeats. Each earbud has up to nine hours listening time, and more than 24 hours of combined playback with that gorgeous magnetic closure case. New Pros claim to have enhanced sound quality too.
The earphones are smart as well as stylish: they power on when taken out of the case and power off, as well as charge, when placed back inside thanks to motion accelerometers which detect when they are idle.
Beats has also made a decision to ensure there is a snug fit with this range of Powerbeats – the Pro earphones are 23 per cent smaller and 17 per cent lighter than the previous generation, and come with four sizes of ear tips and that adjustable earhook to ensure they fit properly.
And, they are sweat and water-resistant for workouts, with volume and track controls on both earbud.
Downsides: Probably only the price. The earbuds are significantly more expensive than the other options, coming in at £219.95. Also, those earhooks are helpful for keeping the headphones secure when you work out but could end up in a fierce battle between hair and hook on a regular basis.
Price: £219, apple.com
3. Mobvoi TicPods Free
USP: Budget AirPod clones for every phone type.
Best features: Everyone will think you’re wearing AirPods. Chinese brand Mobvoi’s attempt at rivalling Apple looks very similar, featuring those familiar white stems containing the battery and touch controls (they come in dark blue or red if you’d rather not look like an Apple disciple).
The design is slightly clunkier than AirPods but the quality is impressive: the TicPods offer rich, bass-heavy sound; four hours’ battery life (better than average for wireless in-ears); and, unlike AirPods, they’re enabled for Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, as well as Siri – not bad for £40 cheaper.
Downsides: The clunkier design means the fit isn’t as secure as that of AirPods (especially for those with small ears), and the lack of app means you can’t customise gesture controls. The max volume is a little low, but your ears will probably thank you for that.
Price: £119.99, mobvoi.com
4. Jabra Elite Active 65t
USP: Workout wonder buds with fitness tracking and noise cancellation.
Best features: Jabra released its Elite Active 65t last year and they’re still the highest-spec fitness earbuds on the market. They have an integrated accelerometer that monitors time elapsed and steps-per-minute, and are IP65-rated against sweat and dust for taking them to the gym.
For outdoor workouts, the Jabra Sound+ app lets you choose how much noise the HearThrough mode lets in. Noise-cancelling in-ear tips block out sound, even on busy Tube platforms.
Battery life is five hours — the same as Apple’s — but Jabra’s design is more subtle: unlike AirPods, no one will notice the sleek black buds sitting in your ears (though they also come in racy red, for the exhibitionists).
Downsides: Fitness tracking doesn’t yet include heart rate and calories, and water resistance is limited: currently, they’re only able to withstand sustained low-pressure water jet sprays, so fine for rain but don’t go taking them in the shower.
Price: £169.99, jabra.co.uk
5. Samsung Galaxy Buds
USP: Super-sounding earphones with wireless charging and six hours of power.
Best features: Samsung’s new Galaxy Buds were released this month and are tailor-made for the brand’s sparkling new flagship phone, the S10: like AirPods, they pair with your phone as soon as you lift the lid, plus they feature wireless charging.
To power up, just pop the case onto the back of your Galaxy phone (useful for emergencies and showing off to your friends). Once you’re set up, the sound is high-quality: Samsung worked with acoustics company AKG on the audio and added dual microphones for better call quality. There’s also Ambient Sound Mode, which lets in noise from your surroundings so you can still hear traffic or voices while you’re on the move.
Crucially, battery life is head and shoulders above the competition. The Galaxy Buds come with six hours of music playback — an hour longer than the AirPods and Jabra Elite — and the case offers 24 hours’ worth of power.
Downsides: If you’re not a Samsung owner, you’ll miss out on some cool extra features. The app is Android-only so iPhone users won’t be able to customise touch controls or use the Find My Earbuds tool, and it might impact how you use voice commands with Samsung’s personal assistant, Bixby.
It’s not one for runners: music and performance are high quality but this comes at the expense of fitness tracking, and the Buds are barely water-resistant.
Price: £139, samsung.com
6. Sony WF-1000XM3 wireless headphones
USP: Sony’s excellent trademark noise-cancelling tech transplanted to an earbud.
Best features: Noise-cancelling. Earbuds are great because they’re small but that can be at the expense of the tech you’d find in overheads. Sony has made no compromises here. Its exceptional noise-cancelling tech, courtesy of the HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1e and the Dual Noise Sensor Technology, is now in a smaller format, so you can listen to your music or podcast and nothing else.
A newly developed Bluetooth chip ensures each bud receives audio content at the same time (instead of the conventional left to right relay), offering up a more stable connection. There’s six hours of playback with noise-cancelling but if you’re low on juice, just pop them back into the case which offers up to four charges.
The wearing detection feature also pauses your music when you remove one earbud, and Google Assistant integration means you can control everything with your voice.
Downsides: The addition of all that tech means the earbuds feel heavier in your ears than the likes of Samsung’s Galaxy Buds. Make sure to switch around bud sizes to find the ones that work for you. The WF-1000XM3s are also competing with the PowerBeats Pros to be the most expensive on the list.
Price: £219.99, Johnlewis.com
