When Apple launched its version of wireless headphones, there was no doubt other OEM’s would soon follow suit; the same case happened when the iPhone manufacturer ushered in a new era of notches and now, we can barely see a new handset without a notch on its portfolio. Earbuds have slowly become a thing amongst smartphone manufacturers, most of them are moving away from wired headphones and in fact they no longer include a 3.5mm headphone jack on phones anymore.
Earbuds come with nifty features and challenges of equal measure, unlike traditional wired headphones, earbuds or inner ear wireless headphones are very expensive in comparison and need special maintenance to use. For once, you’ll need to charge them and they’re notorious for accidentally being misplaced though some manufacturers have incorporated features to track their whereabouts in such cases.
While the challenges seem real for new consumers, there are a ton of reasons you should still consider them. The first reason is actually not optional as most manufacturers skip placing a 3.5mm headphone jack. Consumers are left with no option but to go wireless rather than carrying additional adaptors to convert the charging port into a headphone jack, which is an inconvenience when you want to charge your phone.
There are more than a dozen earbuds you could get to replace the traditional wired headphone jack here in Kenya. I acknowledge this probably isn’t everyone’s option as wireless headphones can still serve the purpose effectively. Though not conclusive, below is a list you probably should have on your shortlist for the next wireless inner ear headphone.
Wireless earbuds you can buy in Kenya for less than Ksh.30,000
- Jabra Elite Active 75T
The Jabra Elite Active 75T stands as the best ragged earbuds you can get though they’re still very elusive as just a handful retailers in Kenya have them. But for Ksh20,000, they’re our best fit for both quality and reliability. The Jabra Elite Active 75T are sweat and water proof thanks to the official IP57 rating. You also get a decent battery life of 7.5 hours outside the included charging case and an additional 22 inside.
- Huawei FreeBuds 3 Earbud
Just recently announced here in Kenya with prices ranging between Ksh18,000 to Ksh19,000, Huawei’s FreeBuds 3 seems like a reasonable choice for many Kenyan’s. Unlike the Jabra Elite active 75T, they’re available in plenty and can even be ordered from local online stores. Huawei FreeBuds 3 come with some interesting features as well including active noise cancellation features and stable Bluetooth connectivity courtesy of the BT/BLE dual-mode Bluetooth 5.1 SoC.
- Xiaomi Mi AirDots
If you’re looking for decent earbuds but are tight on a budget, then the Mi AirDots have a lot to offer, featuring true wireless Stereo for just under Ksh10,000. Posing amazing 12hours of battery life with 4hours double headphone continuous listening and 5hours single earphone continuous listening and the ultimate 12hours when used with the charging box.
- Apple Airpods Pro
For those deep in the Apple ecosystem, the Airpods Pro are the best choice to stay loyal. They do have the benefits of Apple devices with frequent firmware updates as well as stable connectivity. iPhone users also get a bonus to track their whereabouts in case they’re misplaced and offers best connectivity to iPhones. Airpods costs somewhere around Ksh25,000.
- Galaxy Buds
And finally, Samsung’s Galaxy buds. Surprisingly, the Galaxy buds offers the best combination of features and price. With just under Ksh.15,000 you get to enjoy amazing functionality such as ambience aware feature that controls how much of the surrounding noise you let in. You can easily decide to let in important noise such as street traffic, flight announcements, and hear when your kids or coworkers call out to you.