Another year, another leap forward in hearables. Anyone trying the latest AirPods Pro from Apple or Galaxy Buds+ from Samsung will be convinced they never have to buy another pair of earbuds again. So satisfying is the experience, so good the sound, so comfortable the wear, it will seem as if hearable devices have reached the peak of their evolution.
If that sounds familiar, you may be feeling nostalgic for 2013, when every major manufacturer produced a magnificent handset that suggested no more improvement was needed.
Samsung’s S4 drew the Koreans level with Apple, despite the iPhone 5 expanding the range with the C and S models. Huawei finally arrived on the main stage, with the P6 claiming laurels for the thinnest smartphone in the world. HTC took its last serious bow with the One M7, named best new mobile device at the Mobile World Congress that year, thanks to numerous design advances. The Nokia Lumia 1020 was “the cameraphone to end all cameraphones”, according to Verge. LG stunned the market by almost eliminating the bezel on the sides of the G2, and claiming that its software could learn and adapt from user behaviour.
Why would any manufacturer ever try to improve on the peak of handset evolution? Yet, they did. And still do.
Expect the same from earbuds.
Which tell us that, a decade or so from now, the capabilities of hearables will be outrageous. Gyroscopes and accelerometers for positioning and exercise tracking, enhanced bone conduction with pro-level microphones, biosensors for anything from heart rate to brain electrical activity, instant translation of any language, and artificial intelligence connecting everything, await these devices in the near future.
A taste of that future already exists. Jabra, which remains one of the few brands to innovate in hearables without benefit of a smartphone ecosystem, claimed the world’s first wireless stereo earbuds with integrated heart rate monitor already back in 2014, with the Sports Pulse.
At the end of last year, it unveiled its new flagship, the Jabra Elite 85t, and reminded the world that Apple and Samsung did not own the hearable category. That was despite the former debuting the AirPods Pro shortly before, and claiming leadership in the category of active noise cancellation. That may be abbreviated as ANC, but has little to do with South Africa’s political chaos. Rather, it is the gold standard in ensuring that unwanted noise does not degrade sounds reaching the ear.
The 85t, as Jabra’s first earbuds with ANC, has clearly gone head-to-head with the AirPods. Even their prices are similar — both go for around R5,000 in South Africa.
Given Apple’s leadership in the category, merely to be compared is a triumph for Jabra. But is it comparable?
Consider these comparisons: 5.5-hours battery life, compared to 4.5 for the AirPods Pro (both go to 24 hours with their charging cases); “hear-through’ mode and adaptive listening, compared to Apple’s Transparency Mode and adaptive EQ; (they means broadly similar things); adjustable ANC versus “plain” vanilla ANC; voice assistance from Siri and Google Assistant versus “plain” old Siri…
A picture — or maybe, sound — starts emerging of a hearable that may not sound obviously better, but takes each sub-category of built-in technology a small step further. The Jabra Sound+ app also offers far more control and guidance than the AirPods Pro device option on an iPhone. Mostly, it allows a level of personalisation — pay attention to the adjustable ANC — that would be alien to Apple users.
Even the unboxing experience is superior: the 85t reveals itself in layers, with each adding both information and accessories. Four different plug sizes are provided to personalize the device further.
None of this will convince AirPods user. After all, they have already convinced themselves that the stalks sticking out of their ears don’t look ridiculous. But Android users who want to keep up with the tech their Apple-using friends enjoy can’t go wrong with the Jabra Elite 85t.
Oh, and another decade or so from now, they may not even have to worry about the phone brands. Chances are, the handset will disappear completely into the earbuds.
- Arthur Goldstuck is founder of World Wide Worx and editor-in-chief of Gadget.co.za. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram on @art2gee.
Click below to read about other options available besides the AirPods and Elites
Sidebar:
Hearable options
The Apple AirPods Pro and Jabra Elite 85t represent the high end of the earbuds spectrum, but are by no means the only options for high quality. And quality is available across the price spectrum, starting with:
Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro
The Samsung Galaxy Buds Live (R3,000) were our Hearable of the Year for 2020, offering 7.5 hours of battery life, 28 hours including the case, and 6 hours with active noise cancellation, but mostly because they were the most comfortable wireless earbuds we have yet tried. The Buds+ (R4,000) go a few steps further, with Spotify integration, 12 hours playtime, dedicated woofer and tweeter. In other words, made for music. The Galaxy Wearables app is feature matched with Jabra’s Sound+, with the added benefit of integrating with smartwatches.
Now, the new Buds Pro, released last month, at the same or slightly higher price, bring several enhancements, including IPX7 water resistance, meaning it can be submerged in a meter of water for up to 30 minutes. It automatically reduces music or other sounds volume when one starts talking, so can react to voice.
Vivo TWS Earphone Neo
At around R1,200 to R1,900, it is probably the best wireless earbuds in the sub-R2,000 price category. Optimised for Vivo phones, with features like DeepX stereo sound effects for video specific to devices, it still packs an enormous level of high-tech into a low-cost hearable. Decent touch controls, in-call noise filtering, a charging case, and 4.5-hours battery life make it a good budget alternative to AirPods. TWS, for True Wireless Stereo, is standard in most name brand earbuds. Despite the stalks and cheap materials, it is also one of the better-looking earbuds in its price range.
Generic TWS earbuds with charging case
If name brands and quality assurance are less important than wireless earbuds, the Mobile In Africa Store has a package deal on generic TWS Bluetooth wireless earbuds for only R299. With 4hrs of battery life on one charge, and 12hr of battery life with the charging case, it also comes with small, medium, and large earplugs to provide a more comfortable fit.
And then there is ultra-cheap
AliExpress is offering Bluetooth and waterproof TWS “Mini Sports Music Headphones with Microphone” for only $7.15, marked down from $14.31. This means that, if one shops around, one can find hearables for around a R100. But bear in mind that what you pay is what you get.