But while they were cheap by Beats standards, the new Beats Flex are significantly cheaper still, firmly sitting in the budget headphone camp now. As for battery life, Beats Flex can last for 12 hours – which should be more than enough for most people but with USB-C charging, you can do a 10-minute fast charge to get an extra 1.5 hours of playback. If you haven’t charged your Beats Flex headphones yet, you’re in for a treat. They can charge from dead flat to full up in a little less than 90 minutes. But, if you need some “Fast Fuel,” you can plug them in for just ten minutes and get about 1.5 hours of playback.
The Flex, despite being drastically cheaper than the Beats X, sport upgraded audio, including a new driver and laser-cut vents on each bud to relieve ear pressure. Beats has also improved the digital processor that tunes your tunes, and the results are well-balanced. On a layered track with a lot going on like “I Know the End” by Phoebe Bridgers, the Flex easily separated the horns, rollicking guitar, drums, and Bridgers’ screams. The same was true of Fleetwood Mac’s “Silver Springs,” in which the percussion, piano, and guitars backing Stevie Nicks’ impassioned chorus were clear and distinct. We try to take an open and transparent approach and provide a broad-based comparison service.
There are four total pairs of silicone eartips included, in various sizes. In addition to the eartips, there’s a short USB-C cable for charging, which connects to an uncovered port on the left compartment. The Beats Flex earphones offers a bass-forward sound signature and the easy connectivity of Apple’s W1 chip beats flex review for just $50. Although they’re just small earbuds, they pack a 14-hour battery life, 2 hours more than the Flex. On top of extensive controls, the app also lets you enable the auto play feature when magnetically attaching both earbuds. Of course, looking at the price, your expectations have to be relatively low.
When you power on the Beats Flex for the first time, it will automatically enter pairing mode. After that, things get interesting since the process varies depending on whether you use an iOS or Android device. If you’re using something else, then the pairing process is simple. All you need to do is hold beats solo pro wireless down the power button, and wait for the headset to enter pairing mode. From there just look through Bluetooth settings in your source device, and select the Beats Flex. The Beats Flex is great for everyday use because the soft-touch plastic makes the headset very lightweight at just 18.6 grams.
The Apple U1 may, at this early stage, be a little too expensive. And even if it is not, the rumored AirPods Studio would be a much better vehicle for the day-to-day benefits of that hardware. This can make it tricky to know if you’ve pressed it accurately. You get used to this arrangement quickly enough and on the bright side, you’ll never risk accidentally yanking the left earbud out when you use them. What’s odd about the Flex is that while overall battery life is better than their predecessor, fast-charging is actually worse. You now need 10 minutes to get a 1.5-hour boost, whereas the BeatsX could dish out two hours of extra time after five minutes of charging.
It’s still very much present, though you may be underwhelmed if you’re the “give me all the bass you can stuff into my brain” type of listener. I find the balance to be very good for most listening purposes, but I personally prefer a bit more low end in music than what the Flex offers. That said, it’s not something I’ve noticed myself missing after just a few minutes of listening to the Flex. On the contrary, I’d argue the Beats Flex offer a more enjoyable listen than the pricier Powerbeats Pro, high praise indeed for a pair of headphones that cost less than a third of the price. Despite that, they’re comfortable to wear for extended periods and the earbuds are magnetic so they’ll stay locked together around your neck when not in use. Rather neatly, they’ll also pause the music automatically when clipped together and play again when you pull them apart.
In the process they’ve become the cheapest wireless headphones that Apple sells, the company having quietly stripped third-party options from its shelves. Eventually there’ll be Flame Blue, Beats Black, Yuzu Yellow, and Smoke Gray colors to choose from, but initially only the black and yellow are shipping. I don’t expect them to do everything for $50, but if you’re hunting for similarly stylish Beats headphones that will hold up better during workout conditions, you might want to check out the Beats Powerbeats.
This means that the volume controls, the large battery unit and the multi-feature button sit neatly on your chest. Another advantage is that they don’t get tangled up if you stuff them in your pocket. The cable between the earphones makes them a bit more noticeable while wearing, compared to something like AirPods. It results in a brief second where audio is playing while the earphones aren’t in your ear, but it’s a very workable solution.
The end result is a pair of ‘buds that’s really good to listen to day-in and day-out. All of your favourite playlists and tracks will be as enjoyable as they should be. It’s not bass-heavy, and it doesn’t distort or over accentuate the harder-hitting treble sounds. A quick 10-minute charge will give you an hour and a half of music. So the battery is okay but you will have to charge them up quite often. The W1 chip makes these headphones worth every penny, hands-down.
Beats Flex are a good pair of headphones and a decent choice if you’re picking up an iPhone 12 and don’t want to spend more on AirPods. The smarts that come from the W1 chip are great to have at this price, and the sound quality is ok, if a bit flat. Beats Flex is a good pair of headphones and a decent choice if you’re picking up an iPhone 12 and don’t want to spend more on AirPods.