Xiaomi's product strategy for 2020 seems to be very clear- focus on the premium segment with 'Mi' brand and 'Redmi' will take care of other segments. This strategy will not apply only to smartphones as the company is employing the same to other product categories. For example, Xiaomi launched the Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 earlier this month at a price of Rs 4,499, and earlier today, it launched the Redmi AirDots S at just Rs 1,799. The Xiaomi Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 is a better product than the Redmi AirDots S in almost every aspect, but again, we are getting an idea of how the company is willing to put the 'Mi' brand in India. The Mi TWS Earphones 2 promises a lot of features on paper like four hours of charging, music control option, voice assistant activation and excellent sound quality. This product from Xiaomi faces an uphill battle with Realme Buds Air which is one of the best TWS earphones launched to date under Rs 5,000. Is Xiaomi successful in beating Realme and making a mark in the new category? Well, let's find out in our review.
Xiaomi Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 Review: Design
Starting with the design, it is very much original and doesn’t try to copy the Apple AirPods, which is a good thing. The earphones come in a rectangular case which has circular arcs at the edges to provide a very nice experience while holding it. The charging case has a matte finish unlike the Realme Buds Air or any other TWS earphones charging case which feature a glossy finish.
The Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 comes in a single colour option — White. You won’t find any branding of Mi in front of the case but only a single light indicator reflecting charging status. On the right side of the case, you will find a single button which will help you know the battery status on the go and will also allow you to pair with different devices. There is nothing on the left side of the case and it is left clean to make the look of the case simple and minimalistic. At the bottom is a USB Type-C port for charging, which is again a welcome addition and a necessary one too.
The Xiaomi Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 comes to life when the lid of the case is opened and it supports Bluetooth 5.0. The earbuds have a half-in-ear design. The body of the earbuds has a glossy finish with white matte colour. The connectivity was on point and we never had any drops but do make a note that the range if 10m.
Xiaomi Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 Review: Sound Quality
The most important thing after the design of the earphones is their sound quality. The Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 focusses on three areas - Sound Clarity, Battery Life, and Call Clarity. There is a 14.22mm dynamic driver with Titanium composite diaphragm inside the earphones. Xiaomi has particularly focused on making the sound experience good for Indians so you can play all the Bollywood songs with your Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 and enjoy the beats. We noticed that the audio quality delivered will be very high and without any distortion. You can use the earbuds to listen to podcasts as well and you won’t be disappointed by the quality of it. However, since these earbuds are of open design type, there's a huge amount of sound leak, especially at maximum levels. For the most, you will be satisfied using the Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 at around 70% volume.
For calling, the earbuds are as good as any. Out of some calling tests, people on the other end of the call said that they could hear the person using the earbuds in the same way as if he/she was talking with the actual phone. They didn’t hear any background noise and the reason behind that is the presence of two microphones in both the earbuds.
The Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 lag a little when playing games, but it is the case with almost every Bluetooth earphone out there.
Xiaomi Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 Review: Additional Features
The Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 comes with a lot of features like one-step pairing, smart in-ear detection and there's also the option to control music and activate voice assistant with the earbuds itself. Starting with the one-step pairing feature, it only works with Xiaomi phones running MIUI 11, and for other smartphones, you will have to follow the standard Bluetooth earphone pairing procedure.
There's the smart in-ear detection feature which helps the earphones to automatically pause media when you take them off. The media playback will automatically resume once you put them back. This feature comes in really handy when you are in a crowded environment and it works just as Xiaomi touted.
Lastly, we have two more features. The Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 allows you to control the music & calls with a simple touch. Users can play or pause music by double-tapping the right earbud. They can also answer calls by double-tapping on both earbuds. Users can also activate voice assistant (Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa or Siri) by double-tapping the left ear. All these features worked flawlessly during our testing period.
Xiaomi Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 Review: Battery Life
The Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 has pretty decent battery life. To completely charge the case and the earbuds, it takes around 1 hour and 15 minutes. For those who care the numbers, the charging case has a battery of 250mAh whereas each earbud has 30mAh battery. Xiaomi has said that in a single full charge, the earphones can run for 14 hours. There is one place where the earbuds fall behind though and that is during gaming and attending video calls via Zoom or any other application. The battery life hovered around 10-11 hours on a single charge for the case, while the earbuds lasted for just over three hours.
Xiaomi Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 Review: Verdict
Coming to the question of whether you should buy the Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 or not; Well, it depends on your requirements. The earphones offer excellent sound quality, call quality and all the additional features work as Xiaomi promised. However, there are some drawbacks with this product too. Firstly, the battery life is on the lower side, and secondly, it does not offer quick pairing support on every Android device.
At Rs 4,499, there's nothing wrong with the Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 and they are an absolute steal deal for those who are looking for a reliable TWS earphones under Rs 5,000.
