Best budget TWS EarBuds? Redmi Earbuds S or Realme Buds Air Neo, which to choose? The latest Redmi wireless earbuds just cost Rs 1,799 a pair with almost everything you would need on a pair of budget TWS earbuds, while Realme Buds Air Neo is priced at Rs 2,999 with better features. So, what should you pick?
The Redmi Earbuds S is Redmi’s first audio product to be launched in India.
The truly wireless earbuds market is growing rapidly in India and recently Realme became the second largest seller with its Buds Air earbuds after selling over a million pairs. Redmi Earbuds S stands as a perfect competition at a more affordable pricing point.
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Redmi Earbuds S vs Buds Air Neo: The Budget TWS Comparison
Redmi’s first ever audio product in India seems like a perfect hit in the game. Xiaomi sold 1,00,000 Redmi Earbuds S units in just seven days. Realme Buds Air Neo is available at under 3,000, making it another solid contender in the budget TWS category.
There are no major brands offering any truly wireless earbuds in the under Rs 2,000 pricing category and Redmi Earbuds S gains some leverage here.
Now coming to the question of the hour, is it worth spending Rs 1,799 on Redmi Earbuds S, or should you spend more to get a better pair of wireless earbuds?
Starting with the price to performance ratio, Redmi Earbuds S does a really good job for the price point. The sound output is on point, and there’s optimum amount of bass. Redmi Earbuds S come with the same improvements launched with the AirDots S introduced.
Design, Build
Starting with the main distinguishing factor, form and design. The Redmi EarBuds S offer a different design compared to Realme Buds Air Neo. While the Redmi EarBuds have a more sporty design, the Buds Air Neo has a design as the original Realme Buds Air, which is again inspired by Apple AirPods.
Redmi EarBuds S are remodelled Redmi AirDots S earlier launched in China.
So, if you are looking for a pair which would stick into your ears and can be there even if you are working out or involved in some activity, the Redmi EarBuds S have an edge here.
Gestures, Buttons
Redmi Earbuds S offers connectivity with buttons on top for control. Redmi Earbuds S come with clickable buttons which have multiple functions which can be used to control music playback, fire up voice assistant, accept / reject calls and more.
In comparison, Realme Buds Air Neo doesn’t have any clickable buttons. It’s touch-enabled. You get to use gestures on Realme Buds Air Neo.
The gestures give Realme Buds Air Neo an edge here adding some premiumness to it while the clickable buttons could be an issue for some.
Waterproofing, IPX Rating
Both Redmi EarBuds S and Realme Buds Air Neo are IPX4 rated, which means both can survive mere splashes and are sweat proof. Both the budget TWS EarBuds from Realme and Redmi offer some sort of waterproofing, but they can’t be used in the shower or rain.
Activity enthusiasts, you get a green signal here.
Connectivity, Noise Cancellation
The new earbuds by Redmi and Realme both use the latest Bluetooth v5.0 for connectivity. Redmi Earbuds S also comes with DSP noise cancellation with a low latency mode for gaming which can be activated by three presses.
Gaming mode on Buds Air Neo is powered by R1 chip which also includes Super Low Latency Mode.
As for the gestures on the Realme Buds Air Neo, you can use press and hold, double tap, triple tap finger gestures to answer a call, control music playback, skip a song, end call, activate voice assistant and activate / deactivate the super low latency mode.
Calling, Hands-Free Operations
Calls are okay on both the Redmi EarBuds S and Realme Buds Air Neo, and there won’t be any difficulty on both the budget earbuds to talk for hours. Redmi Earbuds S supports fast pairing but with Mi and Redmi smartphones. Realme Buds Air Neo supports Google Fast Pair.
Redmi Earbuds S on Gaming Mode can go till 122ms and has a wireless range of 10 meters. Gaming mode on Buds Air Neo can go till 119.2ms.
Battery, Charging Case
Finally coming to battery life, Redmi Earbuds S comes will offer up to 11 to 12 hours of battery with the case. Without the case, the Redmi Earbuds can run for upto 4 hours. Realme Buds Air Neo can run for a total of 17 hours on a single charge, as claimed by the company which includes the charging case battery life as well.
Redmi Earbuds S packs in a 43mAh battery in the earpieces. The charging case has a 300mAh battery.
VERDICT: Redmi Earbuds S vs Realme Buds Air Neo – Which To Pick?
Redmi Earbuds S directly goes up against the Realme Buds Air Neo, but they are Rs 1,200 costlier. The Realme Buds Air Neo offers up to 17 hours of battery life, has an AirPods-like design and has touch controls available. Realme Buds Air Neo is available at Rs 2,999.
There are no major brands offering any truly wireless earbuds in the under Rs 2,000 pricing category and Redmi Earbuds S gains some leverage here against Buds Air Neo. PS: Realme Buds Q TWS coming soon under Rs 2,000.
In comparison, the Redmi EarBuds S come with touch buttons, slightly lower battery life and a more compact design.
Realme Buds Air Neo will win the best TWS EarBuds under Rs 3,000 segment, while Redmi EarBuds S wins it in the under Rs 2,000 category.
Given the Rs 1,200 difference between Rs 2,999 and Rs 1,799, it’s better to go with the Redmi EarBuds S if you are short on budget pricing and it does offer almost everything at this price point.
The completely wireless earbuds by Redmi will be available for Rs 1,799 in a single black colour variant.
Redmi Earbuds S is available via Mi.com and Amazon India. Redmi Earbuds S offline availability has been confirmed as well. Redmi EarBuds S will be available via offline stores very soon. Realme Buds Air Neo is available via Realme.com and Flipkart.
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