Summary
- HMD has unveiled a pair of wireless earbuds, known as the Amped Buds, with its charging case doubling as a wireless power bank for phones.
- The case has a 1,600mAh battery, which isn’t large by any means, but could greatly help during emergencies.
- The Amped Buds also come with active noise cancellation, environmental noise cancellation, and a dedicated equalizer through a smartphone app.
The Mobile World Congress is an annual event that showcases the best from the smartphone world. This year’s edition officially kicks off tomorrow in Barcelona, Spain, though we’ve already seen a couple of launches today, including Samsung’s new range of midrange phones. Similarly, Finnish smartphone manufacturer HMD has unveiled a handful of products ahead of the event. But there’s one item in particular that has grabbed our attention, and it’s the company’s new wireless earbuds known as the Amped Buds.
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On the surface, these are a pretty standard set of wireless earbuds with a rather unconventional stem design. But what stands out is its abnormally large charging case. As the company explained during its demo today, the charging case also doubles as a power bank, with the ability to wirelessly recharge a compatible smartphone (via Android Authority).
The HMD Skyline is certainly one of the compatible phones, while the list of other Android devices that can use this tech isn’t that long, assuming the Amped Buds rely on Qi2. Meanwhile, CNET reports that this reverse wireless charging functionality works on Apple iPhones, which should significantly expand the Amped Buds’ appeal.
As for the primary function of the earbuds, HMD says the Amped Buds offer active noise cancellation (ANC) and an equalizer with a companion app for iPhones and Android smartphones. There will also be environmental noise cancellation bundled with the earbuds to improve the quality of phone calls. Users will be able to recharge this case via the onboard USB-C port.
A small battery, but it could help in an emergency
Source: Android Authority
Given the obvious size constraints, the wireless charging case only holds a 1,600mAh battery pack inside. But this could be extremely useful in an emergency or when your phone needs just enough charge to make a few phone calls or send some texts in a hurry. HMD hasn’t revealed the pricing of the Amped Buds, nor has it said when they will be available.
Aspects like sound quality can only be judged after we’ve used it ourselves, so we’ll reserve judgment on that aspect for now. The folks at Android Authority note that these earbuds aren’t too comfortable to wear, which isn’t entirely surprising given their design. It’s also unclear how long the earbuds can run with a fully charged case.
HMD has shown some ingenuity in combining the function of a standard earbuds charging case with a wireless power bank. However, the fact that they may not be too comfortable to wear could be a deal breaker for many.
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Mobile World Congress is the biggest smartphone technology show on the planet. It’s when the world of telecoms comes together in Barcelona, Spain, to network, and many big companies use the event to show off new gadgets. It’s no longer the major deal it used to be for consumer tech where MWC would host the launch of heavy hitters like Samsung’s Galaxy S series, but it remains an exciting event if you’re into phones and mobile technology. I’m heading out to Barcelona for the show where we’re expecting to hear from Xiaomi, Honor, Nothing, Realme, Tecno, and many others. What are you hoping to see at the show? Let us know below.
