Notably, the charging case itself features a USB-C port, which is a nice touch compared to Lightning ports that Apple uses on AirPods, AirPods Pro, and Powerbeats Pro. Combined with the charging case, you get 24 hours of playback. Charging and battery lifeīeats Studio Buds feature 5 hours of battery life with ANC or Transparency mode enabled, or eight hours without either enabled. Thankfully, there are tactile controls instead. This would have been understandable, albeit disappointing, given the stem-less design. For example, if one of the buds is sliding out of your ear, there’s a good chance you’ll accidentally activate the pause/play control when adjusting the fit.īeats could have chosen a capacitive design for Beats Studio Buds, or gone without physical controls of any sort.
If there’s one downside to this design, it’s that it’s pretty easy to accidentally trigger one of the controls when you adjust an earbud’s fit in your ear. But again, there is also support for “Hey Siri,” so physical controls to access the voice assistant isn’t necessarily required. For instance, pressing and holding on the right earbud could cycle between ANC and Transparency mode, while pressing and holding on the left earbud could activate Siri.
The stem-less design seems to make them more secure than AirPods Pro even. Just as importantly they also remain in my ears even when working out and being active. In practice, I’ve found Beats Studio Buds to be both comfortable and versatile.
I’ve been testing Beats Studio Buds in many different environments: casual wear around the house, in the gym, for phone calls, and at my desk. You get three different ear tip sizes to choose from in the box, so there’s quite a bit of versatility when it comes to finding the perfect fit. The more apt comparison here are AirPods Pro, which come in at $100 more expensive.Īs far as fit is concerned, the Beats Studio Buds feature an in-ear design, again similar to AirPods Pro. If it were me, I’d choose the compact and in-ear design of Beats Studio Buds over the larger and ear hook design of Powerbeats Pro. The lack of a stem is what differentiates Beats Studio Buds from AirPods Pro in terms of design, but rumors suggest AirPods Pro will be redesigned as soon as sometime next year with a similar stem-less design. The Beats Studio Buds feature an in-ear design similar to AirPods Pro, but without the stem. This means Beats Studio Buds might not be as secure in your ear, but it’s what allows them (and their charging case) to be so compact. The trade-off here, of course, is that the Beats Studio Buds don’t feature ear hooks like Powerbeats Pro. 24 hours of combined playback with the charging case, which features a USB-C port.īeats Studio Buds feature a lightweight and compact design, which is one of the primary selling points compared to the bulkier and more expensive Powerbeats Pro.