Beats announces Solo Buds, $80 wireless headphones with 18-hour battery life

Beats has a solid track record when it comes to wireless headphones. The company has consistently offered good audio performance with a comfortable fit and a nice list of features for both Android and iOS users. In fact, the Beats Fit Pro are our current top pick for best workout headphones. The only thing the company doesn’t have in its lineup is a budget option, but that’s about to change. Beats today revealed the Solo Buds: an $80 set of wireless headphones that offer 18 hours of use on a single charge. There are some caveats in the spec sheet, but you might be willing to overlook them for this battery life at this price.

The Solo Buds have the longest battery life of a set of Beats headphones to date. 18 hours is a lot more than you’ll likely ever use at once, but there’s a catch. The Solo Buds case doesn’t have a battery, so the earbuds won’t charge when you’re not using them. The case is essentially a docking station and will only charge the Buds when plugged in with a USB-C cable. You’ll still be able to charge it with your phone, laptop or tablet, and Beats’ Fast Fuel feature gives you an hour of use in five minutes. The advantage of the non-charging case is that the accessory is significantly smaller since it does not hold a battery.

Beats has designed the Solo Buds to be worn for long periods of time. Specifically, ergonomic acoustic nozzles and vents aid audio performance while reducing pressure. Four sizes of ear tips are included in the box, so you can find the best fit for your ears in terms of comfort and passive noise isolation. There’s no active noise cancellation (ANC) here, so a secure fit will be your only defense against environmental distractions.

Inside, dual-layer transducers are designed to reduce distortion in the frequency curve, which should result in “uncompromised clarity and detail,” according to Beats. The company describes the call quality as “exceptional”, thanks to the combination of a specially designed microphone and a noise learning algorithm. The built-in controls can be customized, leaving music, call and voice assistant functions with one or more presses. Beats also includes the Solo Buds’ optional press-and-hold volume control option.

Built-in Android and iOS compatibility provides one-touch pairing, automatic setup, and support for Find My and Find My Device. Everything you need on the iPhone is built into iOS, while Beats offers a standalone Android app for things like on-board control customization.

The Solo Buds will be available in June in black, gray, purple, and clear red color options for $80.