In-ear headphones are everywhere, at a variety of price points. They may not come any cheaper than Xiaomi’s Redmi Buds 8 Active, which recently leaked online. The folks over at YTechB got hold of information about the new Redmi buds early. An evolution of the Redmi Buds 8 Lite, the most remarkable thing about them might be the expected price.
Best Buds 8 Active
But first, what you can expect from Xiaomi’s budget line of in-ears. Images of the Buds 8 Active show an open-fit design, similar to Apple’s range of AirPods. There are no silicon tips to jam into your ear-socket, meaning these rely on just… fitting well. 14.2mm drivers provide audio, while dual microphones add wind cancellation and serve for voice calls.
Active noise cancellation is, surprisingly, a feature. Given its expected price, it’s uncertain how good that ANC will be. Battery life is more easily impressive. Each bud uses a 37mAh battery, which promises seven hours of uptime (with ANC off) at a time. With the 475mAh charging case, users should get 37 hours of audio per charge. Again, that is with noise cancelling turned off. Bluetooth 5.4 and USB-C charging are stuffed inside. There doesn’t appear to be a waterproof rating. When you see the price, that’ll make sense.
We’ve seen releases of Redmi’s in-ears in the past, so these may make the trip to Africa. Whether they’ll keep the overseas price of about R380 a pair (€20) remains to be seen, but they likely wouldn’t be much more expensive if they turn up. Launch windows are, for the moment, cloudy in all regions. Launch day is anyone’s guess.
