Xiaomi unveiled the Mi Air 2S true
wireless earbuds (TWS), which boast much improved battery life (up to 24 hours
total) and enhanced Bluetooth technology. These are currently available only in
China where they can be pre-ordered for CNY 400 (US$ 56/€ 52), but they should roll
out to Xiaomi stores globally at some point. The earbuds feature fairly large
14.2mm drivers for high-quality audio. That is supplied over Bluetooth 5.0
using the LHDC - a non-proprietary alternative to Qualcomm's aptX-HD that is
available to all smartphone makers as of Android 10. LHDC also has a low
latency mode.
To reduce connectivity issues, audio is
sent to each earbud separately, instead of having a "main" bud that
connects to the second bud. This also allows you to use either bud separately
(on many TWS buds only the main bud can be used separately).
The Xiaomi Mi Air 2S come in a case that
supports Qi wireless charging and has a USB-C port on the bottom. A full charge
takes an hour. The buds can last 5 hours of playback and by topping them up in
the case, you get a total of 24 hours (70% more than the previous generation).
There's no active noise cancellation, but
Xiaomi does use mics for noise suppression during calls. You can accept calls
by tapping one of the buds, touch controls can also change the volume. The
earbuds have IR sensors that detect when you take them out of your ear and they
hit pause automatically.
The Mi Air 2S feature deep integration
with MIUI. For one, you can summon the Xiao AI assistant and use voice
commands. Also, phones running MIUI will pop-up a notification to pair the
earbuds as soon as you open their case for the first time.
Again, these TWS earbuds are CNY 400 and
will start shipping in 5 days.
