Heena Sharma Blog

  London-based technology start-up Nothing’s debut wireless earbuds ear (1) will be available for pre-orders in India from 12pm on August 17 through home-grown e-commerce platform Flipkart. Priced at Rs 5,999, the earbuds will be available for pre-orders with offers like instant discount of Rs 500 on ICICI credit card and free six month subscription of Gaana Plus music streaming service. Unveiled in July, the Nothing ear (1) is one of the affordable wireless earbuds in the market with premium features like active noise cancellation and wireless charging support. Complementing the features is the ear (1) transparent design, which extends to both the earbuds and charging-cum-storage case. The transparent design shows the product internals, including microphones, magnets and circuit board. Nothing said, each earbud weighs in at 4.7g, and delivers pressure-relieving vents, an ergonomic fit, and three customisable liquid silicone tips. As for the audio, the Nothing ear (1) packs a ...

  Jabra is one of the audio equipment makers that has come a long way adding finesse to its true wireless earbuds. Latest from the Danish company is the Jabra Elite 85t , which is touted to be as good for calls as it is for music. Besides, it boasts active noise cancelling, wireless charging, and IPX4 rating for protection from water damage. Priced at Rs 18,999, the Jabra Elite 85t seems to be an all-round premium wireless earbud. But do they work as touted by the company? Let’s find out: Design Jabra Elite 85t Jabra continues with the simple, minimal and compact design statement with the Elite 85t. Successor to the Elite Active 75t, the Elite 85t are about 1.5g heavier in weight over the predecessor yet they do not feel heavy as the weight distribution is proportionate and not uneven. With each earbud weighing 7g, the Elite 8t are lightweight and comfortable to use. As for the changes over the predecessor, the Elite 85t has an oval shaped ear gels for snug and secure fit....

  The LG Tone Free FN7 is a one-of-its-kind pair of true wireless earbuds that comes with a charging cradle powered by UVnano technology – that’s a fancy name derived from the words ultraviolet and its unit nanometer. The technology is touted to kill 99.9 per cent bacteria on the speaker mesh of the earbuds in 10 minutes while charging. The UVnano tech is not the only interesting pitch in these earbuds; they also boast active noise cancellation and Spatial audio, tuned by British high-performance audio tech maker Meridian. Priced at Rs 18,990, the LG Tone Free FN7 seems to be tech-rich true wireless earbuds. How does it perform in real life? Let’s find out: Design The LG Tone Free FN7 is a pair of in-ear earbuds with a tiny stem protruding downwards from the body. Made of plastic, these earbuds have a glossy finish which makes it a little difficult to take them out of the case. Moreover, the glossy finish makes them susceptible to accidental slips from your hand in the absence...

  OnePlus on Monday launched a limited edition of its Buds Z in collaboration with Los Angeles-based artist and designer Steven Harrington, for Rs 3,699 in India. "For our users who are looking for the right combination of great sound quality and aesthetic design, the OnePlus Buds Z Steven Harrington Edition will prove to be a valuable addition,'' said Pete Lau, Founder, and CEO, OnePlus in a statement. According to the company, the new OnePlus Buds Z Steven Harrington Edition features the artist's signature stylized graffiti along with artistic caricatures and designs. The limited-edition earphones have a two-tone purple and mint colour combo with a matching charging case. Equipped with a dynamic 3D stereo powered by Dolby Atmos, these earphones construct a thoroughly immersive soundstage. On a full charge, these limited-edition earphones provide an impressive 20 hours of playback time, while a quick 10-minute top-up provides three hours of vibrant audio. ...

  Audio equipment maker JBL by HARMAN, owned by tech major Samsung, on Thursday launched its new JBL C115 true wireless earbuds in India for Rs 4,999. According to the company, the earbuds come with access to voice assistance, autonomous connectivity and jumbo battery life making it the ultimate go-to headphones. "Over its 75-year history, JBL has delivered the best sound experiences to different generations of audio enthusiasts cutting across demography and pocket size. Celebrating our milestone 75 year anniversary, we are excited to bring the new JBL C115 TWS to our aspiring youth who are discerning in their sound choices, without losing sight of the price tag," said Vikram Kher, Vice-President, Lifestyle Audio, HARMAN India said in a statement. It comes with ergonomic fit earbuds for comfort, autonomous connectivity and access to the phone's voice assistants like Google Echo or Alexa directly from the earbuds. Read More

  Samsung is reportedly planning to launch new Galaxy Buds Pro earbuds next month and a new report has claimed that it will have a feature that is quite similar to the Spatial Audio function available in the AirPods Max and AirPods Pro. The details were spotted in the Galaxy Wearable app ahead of its official launch, reports 9To5Google. "It indicated that Spatial Audio, which adjusts audio based on the direction of a user's head, will work when the Galaxy Buds Pro are connected to a Samsung phone running Android 11". Spatial Audio is designed to provide a theater-like surround sound listening experience on iPhone and iPad using dynamic head-tracking capabilities. Galaxy Buds Pro will also have a "voice detect" feature that automatically enables transparency mode and lowers the volume of your audio when the earbuds sense that you're speaking. Read More  

  Wings is a lesser known name in the audio space but it is one of those brands that make value-for-money products. I had reviewed the Wings Infinity neckband-style earphones last year (review), and found it good with regard to build, finish, and sound quality. The new offering from the brand is a true wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds named Wings Revel. Is the Wings’ TWS earbuds as good as its neckband-style earphones? Let’s find out: Wings Revel: Build and design Wings Revel TWS earbuds The earbuds come in a premium packing and inside the box you get the charging case, Type-C cable, some ear-tips, documents, and the earbuds. The capsule-shaped charging case is small and seems to be made of a good quality plastic. It has Wings branding on top, three LEDs at the front to indicate battery level, and a Type-C port at the back for charging. The case’s compact form factor and lightweight design makes it easy to carry around, be it in pocket or otherwise. Read More

  Jabra on Monday introduced the adjustable active noise cancelling (ANC) feature to its true wireless stereo earbuds portfolio with the launch of the Elite 85T series . The Jabra Elite 85T comes with dual chipset in the earbuds for ANC and sound processing. It is touted to be Jabra’s most advanced and powerful ANC technology. "With the Elite 85T, there will be no compromise in the discreet design or comfort, no compromise in the calls or music experience and no compromise in the effectiveness of the ANC," the company said in a statement. The Jabra Elite 85T features a 12mm audio driver inside a semi-open design and offers 5.5 hours of listening with ANC on, extendable up to 25 hours with the charging case with ANC on and 31 hours with ANC off. The Jabra Elite 85T has IPX4 rating and comes with a 2-year warranty for dust and water damage. The earbuds also support wireless charging. Read More

  Skullcandy recently launched its true wireless earbuds Indy Evo. From impressive on-battery time to water resistance and in-built Tile tracker, the wireless earbuds cover wide spectrum of features on paper. Priced at Rs 9,999, the Skullcandy Indy Evo seems to be in close contest with Sony's recently launched WF-XB700 and TicPods 2 Pro. Are they as good? Let’s find out: Build and Design Skullcandy Indy Evo Despite some changes, the Indy Evo resembles its predecessor Indy in looks and design. Made of plastic, the earbuds have matte finish that looks attractive. The earbuds’ charging case is of decent size but the quality leaves you asking for more. Inside the package, the Indy Evo comes with silicone ear tips of different sizes and ear gels for in-ear fit. It is unlikely for the earbuds to fall off accidently, thanks to in-ear design. However, the fit is not comfortable and softer ear buds could have made the fit a lot more comfortable. Read More

The Galaxy Buds Plus is a pair of true wireless stereo earphones from South Korean electronics maker Samsung. A successor to the Galaxy Buds, the Plus edition gets new touchpad functions, better audio drivers, additional microphone and enhanced on-battery time. How do these improvements add up when it comes to overall experience? And where do they put the Galaxy Buds Plus in 2020? Let’s find out: Samsung Galaxy Buds+ design “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” seems to be the mantra behind building the Galaxy Buds+. These earphones are quite like predecessor Galaxy Buds. A closer inspection, however, shows that the buds get another tiny opening for a secondary microphone on the outside frame for better voice reception during calls. The earbuds come with three pairs of silicone-made ear tips of different sizes. These ear tips provide snug fit and the earbuds latch well into the ears. The earbuds’ fat build might draw attention, but the lightweight design and comfortable ear ti...

Until late last year, there were very few options if you wanted to buy great true-wireless earphones. But now there seems to be no dearth of choices. What's interesting is that most true-wireless earphones in the market bear a mid-range price tag which makes it difficult to separate the good ones from the rest -- unless, of course, you have tested them and experienced for yourself. We used the Oppo Enco Free true-wireless earbuds for a few days and in this review we will tell you if this product passed the test. Design These earphones might be tiny and super-light but not the best for the job. Foremost,, earbuds should stick to where they belong. Its tiny size and light weight does not allow the Enco Free to sit in the ear; the buds fall off at every minor movement. On a cool windy day, I decided to go for a run and took the earbuds along, but, to my utter dismay, couldn't listen to any music as the earbuds would keep falling off. I came back home and tried the big...

The year 2020 seems more about nostalgia than anything else, especially for the kids of the 1990s. Old phones are making a comeback in new avatars (we're talking about the Moto Razr (not Nokia, as it's long gone, and people have moved on), Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag opening the innings in a cricket match together, even if not for the national team (in the Road Safety World Series), and yes it’s happening: the F.R.I.E.N.D.S cast is reuniting for an exclusive special on HBO Max. In the middle of all this, Sony has brought its new Walkman, the Sony NW-A105 , which has a nostalgic appeal that takes us back to the good ol' days when things were simple and easy. One might wonder... what's the deal with Sony? Why would it launch a Walkman in the streaming age? We had the same question, so we spent a month with Sony's first Android Walkman and tried to find the answers. Read More

Chinese tech giant Lenovo has launched T rue Wireless (TWS) Bluetooth Earbuds , the HT 10 Pro , which is an upgraded version of the TWS of 2019. The earbuds come with new EQ technology and are priced at a competitive Rs 4,499. We used it for a couple weeks and here's how it fared. Design The HT10 Pro comes in a nifty little capsule which is all-black, save the Lenovo logo at the top. The pod also works as a charging point for the earbuds nestled inside. The earbuds have a plastic body with a protruding design and a button embedded on the outer surface to control them. Despite their rather bulky size, HT10 Pro earbuds are light. They do stick out of the ears a little more than I'd have liked, but they still are a comfortable fit. And if they are not, you can try the other ear tips available in the box. Overall, these earbuds have a slick, modern look with a good build and comfortable fitting. You can also use the earbuds in mono or stereo mode. The case complements ...

Refreshing wireless earbuds series in India, Denmark-based Jabra , a subsidiary of GN Netcom that makes in-ear and on-ear audio wearables, on Tuesday launched Elite 75t in the country for Rs 15,999. The device will be available at Croma, Amazon, Flipkart and Jabra-authorised resellers, starting December 27. According to the firm, the Elite 75t is specifically designed to provide enhanced comfort through its optimal earbud shape and size. The earbuds have been extensively tested for secure fit, so users can be confident that they will stay put, no matter what activity they may be engaged in. "Bringing continuous innovation and to enable customers to experience a truly wireless earbud solution, we are introducing the Jabra Elite 75t -- newest and improved addition to our award-winning Elite range," Amitesh Punhani, Country Marketing Manager, India and SAARC at Jabra, said in a statement. Read More

The Blaupunkt BTW-01 are just what you want in true wireless earphones if you do not wish to spend too much, yet don't want to settle on an average audio device. Priced at Rs 5,999, the ear pods are lightweight (5.5 gm each) and comfortable, and come with a mini charging case that easily fits into your pocket. The Blaupunkt BTW-01 earphones offer touch controls – a feature usually not available in this price range -- and you can control music playback, answer calls, and use voice assistant by just tapping the earbuds. I felt the touch response was quick. The earphones have Bluetooth 5.0, which makes the pairing with phone or tablet really quick. You can also activate Siri or Google Assistant on your phone by tapping thrice on the earbuds. Blaupunkt BTW-01 true wireless earphones The earbuds pair with each other when you separate them from the charging case and can also be used individually as only one earbud needs to be linked to the phone. Blaupunkt BTW-01 justifies ...