Once you’ve paired the Flex with an iPhone or iPad it will automatically show up as a paired device on any other Apple device that’s logged in with the same Apple ID account. You can also use theAudio Sharing option to stream your music to a friend who has a compatible beats studio3 set of AirPods or Beats headphones. The earbuds are extremely light, weighing just 18.6g, so you’ll barely notice them when you’re out and about. As you’d expect for earphones from an Apple-owned brand, the Beats Flex support the AAC codec but not apt-X.
Nowadays, to sustain and grow in the Indian market, companies are launching their headphones in various sizes, like On-hear, Over-hear or tiny TWS earbuds. Once they are booming out your tunes, you’ll get an impressive playtime of 12-hours and they can be fast refilled with a quick 10 minutes in the plug offering another 90-minutes of music. Beats shocked us all earlier this month when they announced the launch of their new budget Beats Flex earphones.
It’s probably one of the most affordable Beats audio earphones/headphones too. For $50, I wasn’t expecting all that much, but the Beats Flex are a pleasant surprise. You get an Apple experience for much less than most Apple products cost, and you don’t have to give up any important features.
So the battery is okay but you will have to charge them up quite often. Andrew Williams It would be surprising if there were any, as the Beats Flex use Apple’s established W1 chip. This is the wireless communications hardware that lets your iPhone recognise Apple hearphones like this, and pair with them seamlessly. They have no official water resistance at all, but there is a degree of water-sealing to the USB-C charge port and buttons. Just don’t give them a full rinse at the faucet when you are done. Plenty of far more expensive neckband earphones fail at this basic test.
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.
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.