Apple’s new earphones stayed around my neck all day and I’m going to have a hard time letting them go… But there’s one thing I just can’t come to terms with.
These AirPod alternatives make great fitness companions you can comfortably wear around your neck all day.
After spending two days using the BeatsX earphones, I’m not sure I can go back to my tired old pods.
Wireless earphones have been around for years, but it wasn’t until Apple removed the headphone jack from its iPhone 7 that they suddenly became a necessity… at least for me. Soon after upgrading to an iPhone 7 I lost the tiny lighting cable adapter , and the free EarPods make me feel like I’m tethered to my phone. For workouts I survived off a pair of first gen wireless LG Tones, except during runs. The hard plastic neck base would pound down against my collarbone, so I rarely used them outside of the gym.
Apple’s completely wireless AirPods never really appealed as to me as a runner. I was afraid one would pop out of my ear one day and I wouldn’t notice until I was miles away. No thanks.
The BeatsX seemed to fit the bill. They connect wirelessly to the phone, but they still have a cable securing them to your neck at all times. The $150 price tag will be hard to justify fir most and likely too rich for my blood — I borrowed a colleague’s to get some QT with them — but I was excited to try them out.
These are only my impressions while doing my normal activities. For an in-depth analysis, check out CNET’s full review.
For starters they’re made with Apple’s W1 chip, which in theory means they have easier device syncing, a stronger bluetooth connection, longer range, and seamless compatibility with other Apple devices.,
Pairing the BeatsX with an iPhone is a one click process.
If you have an iPhone 5 or later (it’s not compatible with anything older), just turn the earphones on to start using them. As long as bluetooth is turned on, you’ll immediately see a pop-up screen asking you to pair them. No setup, and no searching through the settings menu. And if you have an Apple Watch synced to your phone, you should automatically see the BeatsX as an output option when you’re playing music on the watch. And the iPhone never forgets the earphones unless you choose to forget them. You’ll just have to unpair them from your device before connecting them to another device.
The setup on my MacBook was not quite as seamless as I still had to go into the Bluetooth settings page to connect. Same goes with Android devices.
It didn’t really bother me. The the soft rubber on the BeatsX felt light around my neck, even when they were bobbing up and down during a run.
