One of the announcements that flew under the radar last week was the introduction of the Beats Flex, the new wireless earphones that represent an upgraded version of the previous BeatsX, due to not being explicitly mentioned during Apple’s event. Not only do the Beats Flex come with a few upgrades, they represent the most affordable way to enter Apple’s wireless earphone ecosystem at just $49.99.
The launch of the Beats Flex comes at the right time, given that Apple has stopped including wired EarPods in the box with new iPhone purchases, even older models that used to include them. EarPods are still available as standalone purchases for under $19, but if you’re going to buy headphones, it’s worth looking at wireless options like the Beats Flex.
I’ve been using a pair of Beats Flex in the bright “Yuzu Yellow” color for about a week now, and I can say that they offer great value, especially for first-time wireless earphones, as users like some of their more expensive Beats and AirPods alternatives. Errors are less likely to be noticed.
Right off the bat, I’d say that if you’ve used the BeatsX, you have a pretty good idea of what to expect with the Beats Flex. Beats Flex is a pair of ceiling in-ear earphones connected by a cable designed to be worn around the neck. There are several modules with connecting cables that contain the electronics, controls and batteries for the Beats Flex, and they sit comfortably next to the neck.
With the cable wrapped around the back of the neck, it’s very easy to remove one or both earphones from your ears without worrying about losing them. And when you’re taking a break from listening, the two earphones click together magnetically to secure the whole thing around your neck.
fit
The Beats Flex comes with four sizes of eartips, so most people shouldn’t have too much trouble finding a good fit. The soft, flexible eartips are relatively easy to swap out, but you don’t have to worry about them accidentally coming loose.
Like the AirPods Pro, the Beats Flex eartips are designed to seal in the ear canal, which helps keep them securely in place during activity and blocks out ambient noise.
As a daily AirPods Pro user, one thing about the Beats Flex that took some getting used to were the cables dangling from my ears. They put a little pressure on the ears, and with the ear seals, any sound that brushed off my shirt or the cord next to my mouth was transmitted directly to my ears. Between adjusting how the cord sat on my neck using the Beats Flex and just spending time adjusting, the sounds became a lot less annoying.
The cable is made of Nitinol, a nickel-titanium alloy that provides a shape memory effect so that the cable is comfortably looped around your neck and allows the earphones to be coiled up and thrown into a bag or kept in your pocket.
Overall, I found the Beats Flex to be quite comfortable, as I was able to wear them in my ears for several hours without any discomfort, the cable around my neck didn’t bother me at all, and I quickly got used to the cable coming out of the earbud. I still love my AirPods Pro, but I have little to complain about with the fit of the Beats Flex.
Sound quality
I found the Beats Flex’s sound quality to be pretty good for a low-cost earphone, with sealed eartips that help block out ambient sound and offer a full, resonant sound. Bass tones come through quite strongly, while mids and especially highs feel weak, but overall these earphones compare quite well to competing models.
Unlike the AirPods Pro, the Beats Flex don’t have active noise cancellation, but I still found they did a pretty good job of shutting out background noise and focusing on what I was listening to.
Audio quality from the microphone is solid, my voice comes through clearly on phone calls, and Siri recognizes my commands and requests perfectly. Beats says it has improved microphone performance over the BeatsX with optimized placement and an improved voice algorithm that helps improve audio quality and reduce wind noise.
by controlling
With nearly identical neckband housings on each side, it takes some practice to remember which functions are located where, but once you learn it’s easy to control things by feel.
The right-side housing has a single button along the edge that’s easy to locate by feel, and that’s the power/pairing button. Pressing and holding the button will turn the Beats Flex on or off and activate the pairing as needed. If you’re using them with an iOS device, you’ll get quick pairing functionality simply by bringing the Beats Flex closer to your device after initially turning on the earphones. Android users can pair them via the Bluetooth menu on their device or by downloading the Beats app for Android, which gives you quick access to pairings, firmware updates, product details and battery level information.
The left side housing houses a pair of buttons, but it’s easy to distinguish between them by feel. There’s an elongated volume rocker along the edge, while a raised, round button on the face of the housing offers playback controls. A quick press of the playback control will play or pause your audio or answer or hang up on a phone call. A double press skips forward to the next track, while a triple press skips backwards, and holding down activates Siri.
The housing on the left side has a black patch that houses the microphone, as well as the USB-C port. The left and right housings have small “L” and “R” labels to help you determine which way you should wear the earphones, but it doesn’t take long to learn which way is correct by looking at the physical characteristics of the housings, or even just by feel.
This setup differs slightly from the BeatsX, which actually had a third housing closer to the ear on the left side where all the physical controls were. I think I prefer the simpler Beats Flex layout, which helps reduce weight without compromising usability (they’re 8% lighter than the BeatsX).
connection
While Android users will get a fairly basic Bluetooth earphone experience with the Beats Flex, the included W1 chip takes things to the next level for Apple users. It allows for quick pairing, seamless switching and audio sharing between devices linked to the same Apple ID, allowing you to connect two pairs of compatible AirPods and Beats to a single device to listen to the same content.
It’s important to note that the Beats Flex’s W1 chip is the same as the previous BeatsX, and not the second-generation AirPods, ‘AirPods Pro’, Beats Solo Pro, Powerbeats Pro, and the more advanced H1 chip. Latest Powerbeats. This means the Beats Flex doesn’t support iOS 14’s new feature that automatically switches your earphones to another device when you start playing audio.
Without the H1 chip, you also won’t get hands-free “Hey Siri” support, so you’ll need to press the voice assistant button on the left-side neckband housing to access Siri.
Range was solid in my tests, as expected thanks to the W1 chip. It may not be quite as good as earphones with an H1 chip, but it seems to outperform standard Bluetooth connections, and I was able to get solid audio reception from a device on the second floor of my house while basically walking around the perimeter. Only a few dropout in my house, especially in high physical intervention spots.
The Beats Flex doesn’t have ear detection like the AirPods, which automatically play or pause when you insert or remove the earphones, but the Beats Flex comes close by offering an alternative method where magnetically clicking the earphones together pauses music and resumes when you separate them. is Playback It results in a brief second where the earphones are playing audio when not in your ears, but it’s a very useful solution.
Battery life and charging
Beats says the Beats Flex will last about 12 hours on a single charge, up from 8 hours with the BeatsX. I found the 12-hour rating to be pretty accurate based on my listening over multiple sessions, so you’ll probably be able to get several days of use out of them before recharging, even with fairly heavy use.
When it comes to charging the Beats Flex, you’ll need a USB-C cable, which is another change compared to the BeatsX, which uses Lightning. A 6-inch USB-C to USB-C cable is included with the Beats Flex, but you’ll need to supply your own power adapter or connect them directly to a computer.
I don’t mind the switch to USB-C, as I’ve got plenty of USB-C cables at home to charge my iPad Pro and Mac notebooks, but for some, the switch might be a little inconvenient. Switching to USB-C makes it easier for Android users, as they usually have plenty of USB-C cables and may not already have a device that charges over Lightning.
Like the Lightning port on the BeatsX, the USB-C port on the Beats Flex doesn’t have a cover. This leaves the port open to sweat, rain, and dust, but that doesn’t seem like a significant concern, and it avoids the awkward port covers seen on many other devices.
Beats Flex takes less than 90 minutes to fully charge when the battery is dead, and a 10-minute fast fuel charge will give you up to 1.5 hours of playback time in a pinch. The power button has a small LED that pulses red when charging and turns white when the Beats Flex is fully charged.
the price
The Beats Flex’s $49.99 price tag is really hard to beat, especially if you’re in the Apple ecosystem, because you get a solid pair of wireless earphones that offer many of the bonuses made possible by Apple’s custom chips.
Thinking of BeatsX, these earphones were launched in early 2017 with a price tag of $150. Over time that price was dropped to $120 and then $100, though those price cuts saw a few other changes, such as an included carrying case and fins intended to allow for more in-ear fit options. Yes, the BeatsX often sold for less than the final $100 list price, but dropping to an MSRP of $50 is a big step for Apple and Beats as they move towards the ubiquity of wireless headphones.
Last thought
The Beats Flex are great entry-level earphones that give you most of the Apple-specific features you find in more expensive Beats and AirPods models. With solid sound quality and a comfortable fit for the price, it’s hard to find much not to like about them.
The in-ear earphones make them a bit more noticeable when wearing them than something like AirPods. But that cable also lets you lose your earbuds without having to resort to something like an over-ear hook like the Powerbeats Pro, which some find bulky and uncomfortable, or the Powerbeats, which include both a hook and a cable.
The cable and magnetic earphone attachment mechanism lets you easily take them in and out throughout the day without needing to return them to a case, and the 12-hour battery life is more than the AirPods or even the Powerbeats Pro can provide. Regular PowerBeats offer up to 15 hours of battery life, but are less convenient to take in and out of your ear.
Apple and Beats aren’t known for offering cheap products, but at just $50, the Beats Flex might be the perfect starter set of earphones for many who are looking for a little more freedom than you’d get from being tethered to their device with wired earphones. They’re definitely a way to dip your toes into Apple’s wireless earphones without stepping up to more expensive options from Apple and Beats that are at least three times the price, unless you can find a great deal.
The Beats Flex is available to order now in Beats Black and Yuzu Yellow for an October 21 launch, with Smoke Gray and Flame Blue color options arriving in early 2021.
