5 Of The Best Cheap Wireless Earbuds For iPhone And Android
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With most smartphones getting rid of the headphone jack, the demand for wireless earbuds is growing. Premium earbuds like the AirPods Pro 2, Sony WF-1000XM5, and Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 are priced upwards of $200, but not everyone can afford to spend that much on the best noise-cancelling earbuds. The good news is that these days, you can get some pretty great options for under $100.
There's a lot to consider when choosing a pair of wireless earbuds. Apart from the sound quality, you also need to factor in connectivity, battery life, comfort, and some form of water resistance. The last option is particularly important if you're looking for a pair of earbuds to wear while working out.
Those aren't the only features you'll find on affordable earbuds though. Many of the advanced features of premium earbuds are now available on cheaper models, including Active Noise Cancelation, wireless charging, and a companion app. If you're in the market for a pair of cheap earbuds, we've shortlisted our top picks. All the wireless earbuds in this list are compatible with both Android phones and iPhones.
JLab Go Air Pop
If you're looking for a pair of earbuds priced under $25, the JLab Go Air Pop is a great buy. These earbuds have surprisingly good battery life for their price, with up to eight hours of playback for each earbud. When you add the charging case to the mix, the battery life is extended by an additional 24 hours. A cool feature of these earbuds is that the case comes with an integrated USB-A cable. All you need to do is plug it into a charger.
The compact case can easily fit in your pocket, and the earbuds feature angled tips and three sizes of ear tips. They come in several fun colors, including Pink, Red, Teal, Gray, and Lilac. The earbuds also feature touch controls, letting you play/pause music, answer calls, control volume, and activate your phone's voice assistant. An IPX4 rating is also included, making them ideal for workouts.
While the JLab earbuds don't feature a companion app, you can use the touch controls toggle between three EQ settings: Signature, Balanced, and Bass Boost. The only downside of these earbuds is that they don't feature noise cancelation, but that's not a bad compromise considering their cheap price.
EarFun Air Pro 3
If you're looking for budget wireless earbuds that don't look cheap, the EarFun Air Pro 3 should be on your list. Priced at $79.99, the earbuds are often discounted on Amazon. For that price, they bring several premium features to the table, including Active Noise Cancelation, a companion app, and support for the aptX audio codec that streams higher quality audio than SBC. The EarFun Air Pro 3 earbuds offer nine hours of battery life, with the charging case taking that up to 36 hours. The case supports fast wired charging via USB-C, with EarFun claiming that a 10-minute charge results in two hours of playback. The case also supports wireless charging, which is a great feature to have at this price point.
The EarFun Air Pro 3 earbuds support touch controls, allowing you to play/pause music, answer calls, control ANC, and adjust volume. A companion app for iOS and Android is available, offering an equalizer, the ability to customize controls, and switch between normal, noise canceling, and ambient sound modes. Other features include a six-microphone array for better call quality, IPX5 water resistance, and the ability to connect to and switch between two devices at a time. They're available in Black, Blue, and Oat White colors.
JBL Vibe Beam
The JBL Vibe Beam are a simple, comfortable pair of wireless earbuds that are also super affordable at $39.95. While the earbuds don't feature ANC support, they do have two sound modes. Ambient Aware mode lets you listen to music while being aware of your surroundings, while TalkThru lets you have a conversation with people around you without having to remove your earbuds. There's also a VoiceAware tool that lets you control how much of your own voice you hear while talking to others on a call.
The companion app lets you switch between sound modes, in addition to offering an equalizer, the ability to customize controls, and turn on the power saving mode. The JBL Vibe Beam offer good battery life, with the earbuds lasting eight hours and the case adding an additional 24 hours. The earbuds are IP54 certified, while the case is rated IPX2 for water resistance. The JBL Vibe Beam feature touch controls and are available in four colors: Black, Blue, Mint, and White.
Soundcore by Anker Sport X10
If you're looking for a cheap pair of wireless earbuds that you can use for workouts, the Soundcore by Anker Sport X10 earbuds are worth checking out. These earbuds are priced at $69.99 and come in Black, Red, and Oat White colors. The earbuds feature ear hooks that can be rotated 210 degrees for a secure fit, making them ideal for high-intensity activities like running and cycling. They also feature an IPX7 water resistance rating, allowing them to be submerged in up to one meter of water for up to 30 minutes. They are sweat-resistant too.
The earbuds feature eight hours of battery life, while the case increases that to 32 hours. Fast charging is also supported, with a 10-minute charge providing up to two hours of listening time. While the earbuds don't feature touch controls to avoid accidental taps during workouts, they do feature a button control on each earbud. The companion SoundCore app lets you customize the button controls, choose from up to 22 EQ presets, and even access breathing exercises.
The Sport X10 earbuds feature ANC support, which is a nice extra to have at a sub-$70 price point. The earbuds feature six microphones, and there's also a Wind Noise Reduction mode that can be enabled in the app.
AirPods 2
The AirPods 2 were launched back in 2019, but if you're an iPhone user, they're the best cheap wireless earbuds you can buy. While the second-generation AirPods are usually priced at $129, they're currently available on Amazon for $99, which is a fantastic price. While the AirPods 2 can be used with Android phones, many of their features are exclusive to the iPhone, including one-touch pairing, Siri voice commands, audio sharing, and the ability to view battery life.
The AirPods 2 have automatic in-ear detection, allowing them to pause playback when you remove them from your ears. They have touch controls on the stems, letting you play or pause music, play the next or previous track, or summon Siri. These controls can be customized on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, but not on an Android or Windows device. The AirPods 2 earbuds also feature a speech-detecting accelerometer, which can automatically detect when you're speaking and filter outside sound.
While the AirPods 2 don't feature ANC, their semi-in-ear design makes them a comfortable choice if you don't like ear tips. The earbuds offer five hours of battery life, while the case takes that up to 24 hours. Charging the AirPods for 15 minutes results in three hours of listening time.