The iPhone 7 was the first popular smartphone to ditch the dedicated headphone jack. Since then, various smartphone brands have followed Apple’s lead. Consumers are now forced to buy wireless earphones, and the market is flooded with such options. While wireless earphones may not match the audio quality of wired earphones, they offer a number of conveniences. 

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There are two types of wireless earphones: semi-wireless and truly wireless. Semi-wireless earphones have a wire connecting enclosures on the two sides (left and right), while truly wireless earphones have no wire between them. Truly wireless earphones are slightly costlier but offer more convenience and longer battery life. If you are looking to buy new truly wireless earphones, there are four important things to consider, and we explain each one of them here so that you can choose the best option, no matter what your budget is. 

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1. Bluetooth 5.0 with AAC and aptX 
The most important feature for any truly wireless earphone is Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity. This version of Bluetooth has faster data transfer, dual audio connection, and optimizations for more reliable connections between the smartphone and the wireless earphones. It has a greater emphasis on Bluetooth LE (Low Energy), which means lower battery power is consumed while playing audio. It makes sure that both left and right earphones connect seamlessly to your smartphone, tablet, or computer, and there’s no audio sync issue between left and right earphones. 

AAC and aptX are wireless audio codecs that offer higher quality than the standard SBC codec that comes as a part of Bluetooth 5.0. If you’re an iPhone user, it is important for a wireless earphone to feature AAC for better audio quality. If you have an Android device running Android 8.0 or above, it can use both AAC and aptX. So, it is better to have both, in case you switch between Android and iOS devices. 

2. Dual Microphones on Both Earphones for Clearer Calls
If you spend a lot of time on voice calls or video conferences, your truly wireless earphones must feature two microphones on each side. An array of four microphones can pick up your voice more clearly, even when there’s background noise. Most truly wireless earphones that have microphones on both sides offer some form of active noise cancellation during voice calls. Moreover, both left and right earphones should be able to connect to your smartphone independently so that you can take calls or listen to music with any one of them when you don’t want to use both.

3. Long Battery Life, USB Type-C Port for Charging
You should look for wireless earphones that offer at least four hours of battery life on a single charge, while their case should offer at least one additional charge. So, even if you’re travelling on a long flight, you should be able to enjoy music. Also, prefer earphones that feature some form of fast battery charging mechanism. 

All truly wireless earphones sit in a bundled case while charging. You should prefer earphones that have a case with a USB Type-C port rather than a microUSB port. A USB Type-C port has a symmetrical design, so you can insert a cable any way you want rather than constantly fiddling with the wire to check if you’ve inserted it the correct way. If you can find truly wireless earphones that come with a Qi-compatible case for wireless charging, it would be like icing on the cake.  

4. Compact, Sturdy Charging Case 
Since you would carry your wireless earphones with you most of the time, it becomes incredibly convenient to carry them if the case is small enough to be stored inside your pockets. For example, the AirPods and the Galaxy Buds have thin and small cases that can fit inside the coin pockets of your jeans. 

(By Sunil Gandhe, Chief Service Delivery Officer, Onsitego)