Samsung Unleashes New Gear IconX Wireless Earbuds


Even though Samsung’s smartphones still have an audio jack, the Korean tech company has just released a new set of wireless earbuds called the Gear IconX. Samsung’s cord-free earbuds also work as an exercise tracker along with Samsung’s S-Health app. But are the new IconX buds everything they have been hyped up to be? AndroidPIT doesn’t seem to think so.

“The Gear IconX’s 47 mAh batteries don’t last very long. In some cases, I was only able to use the earphones for about an hour before they needed to be recharged. What’s worse – significantly worse – is the fact that the Gear IconX can become too hot while in your ear, making the gadget almost impossible to use.”

The review did praise the phone call quality and said the sound was generally good. However, the review gave the IconX buds an overall mediocre two-and-a-half stars. Mobile Syrup didn’t seem too thrilled about Samsung’s earbuds either.

“The battery is the shadow that looms over the product. Samsung has it rated at three hours on standby and 90 minutes for music playback. At the volume levels I was consistently at, it barely broke past an hour. That’s probably not going to be good enough for most gym workouts.”

Critic Ted Kritsonis adds that the sound is pretty good, but not great for people who need a lot of bass. He also notes that even though the IconX works with Android phones, it’s not compatible with the iPhone. The commenters after the article think the IconX buds are anything but iconic.

“Overpriced. I’ll stick with my Plantronics Backbeat Fit. Does all I need it do for $100 less than these things,” says Anton Bruckner.

“These aren’t first at all. These are cheap knockoffs of the Bragi Dash,” claims Laer.

The IconX earbuds have not been well received. [Photo by Anick Jesdanun/AP Images]
There has barely been any excitement over the IconX earbuds on Twitter. However, wireless earbuds have become all the rage since it was announced that Apple would not include a headphone jack with the upcoming iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Unfortunately, none of the wireless earbuds released in the past year have been well received.

Earin, a company from Sweden, showed off the very first wireless earbuds at CES 2015. The $249 Earin Bluetooth buds finally became a reality for consumers at the end of 2015, and the response has been mixed at best. Engadget said the earbuds are ambitious, but flawed.

“There are moments, though — prolonged ones, even — when the entire package works like a charm. It’s magical…Still, the connectivity issues, combined with fairly average sound, do a lot to detract from the undeniable coolness of a completely wire-free pair of earbuds,” claimed critic Chris Velazco.

The Bragi Dash Bluetooth earbuds recently went on sale for $299. Unfortunately, the response hasn’t been much better than that for the Earin buds. Wired Gave the Dash earbuds a 5/10 rating.

“Connectivity is a mess, and without good connectivity what good are wireless headphones? Many of the coolest features are just promises right now. There’s some serious social oddity in wearing headphones like these.”

The review adds that the Dash earbuds have good sound, but that may not mean much if they don’t work well. MacRumors gave the Dashes a better review, but it doesn’t sound like they would be worth $299 unless you don’t mind buying what feels like a Beta product.

One needs to understand that they are definitely trading battery life for convenience with wireless earbuds. Both earbuds have their own wireless radio that takes up a lot of battery life. Perhaps wireless buds will become more advanced, but right now they are certainly a niche product. Samsung hopes to mainstream wireless earbuds with the Gear IconX

[Photo by Anick Jesdanun/AP Images]

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