Honor Choice Earbuds X5 Review: Are these pocket-friendly earbuds worth the hype?

Honor Choice Earbuds X5: Honor recently introduced its TWS (True Wireless Stereo) earbuds, the Honor Choice Earbuds X5, priced at Rs 1,999, coinciding with the launch of its new smartphone, the Honor X9B. After using the earbuds regularly for over a week, I found out that the earbuds have some solid wins and some definite misses as well. Here's a detailed review:

Honor Choice Earbuds X5: Design

The glossy finish of the case lacks uniqueness. It's cobble-shaped with a white light on the front and a USB-C port at the bottom, though disappointingly, a USB-C cable is not included. The case bears resemblance the Apple AirPod's case and is lightweight. The buds themselves are lightweight and comfortable, providing a snug fit. However, they tend to get loose during intense workouts.

Honor Choice Earbuds X5: Sound Quality

The sound quality of the Choice Earbuds X5 is decent, with a good amount of bass and clear vocals, though the mids dominate the high frequencies.

Honor Choice Earbuds X5: Noise Cancellation

The ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) is average, as loud noises can still penetrate. It's not as impactful as other earbuds in this segment.

Honor Choice Earbuds X5: Bluetooth and Connectivity

It provides Bluetooth 5.3 for stable connection. Pairing with my iOS smartphone was quick, but the buds didn't connect to the Honor AI Space app, limiting customization options and updates for iPhone users. I then tried to connect it with an Android device which turned out to be smooth though.

Honor Choice Earbuds X5: Calling

My calling experience with this device was different with iOS and Android devices. The device got frequently disconnected during calls when paired with iPhone while it stayed smoothly connected with an Android smartphone, but the audio quality was still not up to the mark.

Honor Choice Earbuds X5: Battery

Honor claims up to 35 hours of playtime with 9 hours of continuous play. Charging took around 25 minutes, and the buds lasted almost 32 hours after a full charge, which aligns with the claimed battery life but falls short compared to competitors.

Honor Choice Earbuds X5: My Thoughts

While the design lacks innovation and the ANC and sound quality are decent, the connectivity issues with iOS devices and unsatisfactory calling experience are significant drawbacks. The battery life and charging speed are satisfactory but not exceptional.

Final Verdict

According to me, there are better ANC earbuds available in the market at this price range, making the Honor Choice Earbuds X5 difficult to recommend.