There’s no charging case provided with the Flex – which would be a lot to ask at this price – but Apple says the Flex is designed for all-day use, and quotes 12 hours of listening time on a full charge. And, like other Apple and Beats headphones, the Flex has a ‘fast fuel’ feature that gives you 1.5 hours of playback time from a quick 10-minute charge. Connectivity is a hallmark on all Apple-related products, and as I previously mentioned, the W1 chip does a solid job of pairing to devices on multiple platforms.
In 2021, Cam stepped away from Review Geek to join Esper as a managing Editor. Sensors can detect when they are removed from your ears so that the music is paused, saving battery life. We consider a lower weight better because lighter devices are more comfortable to carry. A lower weight is also an advantage for home appliances, as it makes transportation easier, beats studio3 and for many other types of products. That also means you can automatically switch between devices, depending on what you’re doing on any one of them. For example, I can listen to music on my iPhone and hit the pause button on the iPhone, open up a Google Meet on my Mac, and Beats Flex will automatically pair to my Mac so I can use them for my work meeting.
Although the clarity isn’t great, which is probably due to the fact that the integrated microphone is facing into a shirt and not towards your mouth. Basically, the app gives you all the features and settings otherwise baked into iOS (on iOS, you don’t have to download any app, all the settings are already in the Bluetooth menu). That might be a problem if you own an iPhone since they use the Lightning port.
In the last few years, audio technology has progressed drastically, and headphone has become more innovative and offers more features than ever before. Despite a durable plastic coating and six spare silicone tips, it’s worth noting the Flex have no IPX rating, so they’re not sweat or beats studio3 water-resistant. A shame, but then neither were the more expensive X, so if you want workout earphones perhaps consider the Powerbeats range. Over in our headphones guide, you’ll still find plenty of other discounts if either of the more affordable earbuds just aren’t going to cut it.
Nevertheless, these are entry-level wireless buds and their main function must surely be an improved wire-free sound over the £19 ($19) EarPods. One useful feature is a set of magnets in the Beats-branded top surfaces of the earbud housings, which are strong enough to find each other when you remove them from your ears. Voila, the whole set-up instantly becomes a secure necklace. Overall, the Beats Flex have a satisfyingly fuss-free build and finish. The cable is flat, almost like a strand of tagliatelle, and though it’s more than long enough to suit most wearers, we find it kinks and tangles a little during the course of our listening.
Just power on the Flex, and a small card will appear so that you can easily connect the Beats Flex. The W1 chip also enables audio sharing, so you and a friend can listen to the same thing—so long as they have a compatible pair of Apple headphones. Think of it as the wireless equivalent of handing a friend your left earbud while watching something on your phone.
Since Beats has been on an IPX4 kick with its last two wireless earbuds releases , we were expecting some form of water-resistant/waterproof protection on the Beats Flex. Beats did mention the USB-C connector is waterproof and that the buttons are sealed to prevent liquid from seeping in. Whether that’s enough assurance to exercise or swim with the buds, well, that’s a risk you may or may not want to take.
Unfortunately, they struggle to isolate bass range against noise like bus or plane engines. If you’re willing to spend a bit more, might we also recommend the Beyerdynamic Blue BYRD . This will run you quite a bit more beats solo pro wireless at around $139 USD, but you get an IPX4 rating, aptX codec support and very good sound quality to boot. Beyerdynamic’s Bluetooth earbuds also support multipoint connectivity so you can connect to two devices at once.
Well, you have to pair it first before you start listening to your music. You can stream audio such as songs, podcasts, or movies with Beats Flex and another set of Beats or Apple headphones. These are wireless Bluetooth earphones, yet I haven’t explained its Bluetooth till now. People around you cannot hear any sound even if you are listening at a high volume. There is a good amount of focus in the mids around 1000 Hz.