Posted by Mumbai: Mobvoi, a Chinese consumer brand entered the wireless earbuds space with the launch of TicPods Free mid-last year. At the time of launch, Mobvoi had sold TicPods Free for $129.99 in the US and other markets, but now it has slashed its price to $49.99 for Amazon Prime users.
However, the company recently also launched TicPods 2 true wireless earbuds with many improved features than earlier ones. TechHerald recently reviewed TicPods Free true wireless earbuds supplied by Mobvoi.
Attractive appearance
Right from the time of unboxing, TicPods Free sort of captured the attention with its simple, minimalist design, looks and feel as well as the sturdy charging case. The entire unit appealed a lot to the eyes because of its shape, size and smooth uncluttered appearance and finish.
Tic Pods Free comes in three colours – lava red, ice white and navy blue. TechHerald was supplied with a lava red colour unit.
Capsule shape sturdy case
Interestingly, the charging case has a slick design of a big oblong capsule that holds the two earbuds inside it. The case comes with two tiny green lights placed in the mid lower portion dividing the case into two parts. These lights turn on and off every time the case lid/flap is opened.
Also the two tiny lights function as an indicator if the unit is fully charged or not. The case size is perfect to slip into the tight pockets of jeans or trousers, making it very easy to carry along.
On opening the case, the two wireless earbuds or earpieces appeared neatly placed, inside the carved cavity connecting them tiny charging nodes.
TicPods Free has a well-crafted curved shape and surface that fits itself into the inner cavity of human ears closer to the eardrums offering an excellent listening experience. The buds’ nozzle openings are covered with thin silicon caps that protect them from dust, sweat and dirt. These earbuds are IPX5 water and dust-resistant.
TicPods Free runs on older Bluetooth 4.2 but is very quick to prompt when it is paired with a mobile phone. The earbuds are very powerful to get paired within a few seconds without the need for any software installation.
Touch-gestures-based features, functions
Mobvoi has smartly used and placed touch gestures on the surface of both earbud stems respectively to enable various functions using double tap, sliding up and down and longer (2 seconds) hold/ touch. All through using one finger easily.
Once the earbuds are paired, TicPods Free will able to take up calls as well as work as a microphone, making it easy to talk hands-free while they stay plugged into the ears.
For instance to playback /pause the music or song, simply tap the finger on the left earbud’s stem for 2 seconds. In the same way, a 2-second tap on the right earbud’s stem will activate voice assistance on the phone.
To increase or decrease the volume, just slide the finger on the stem of any one of the two earbuds or double tap to skip to the next song. It uses an ear-detection mechanism so the moment either of the earbuds is removed from the ear, the music will automatically pause. And will start to play once it is plugged again into the ear.
Performance and sound quality
While that’s a bit about the functions of TicPods Free, in terms of the performance and sound quality, it offers an excellent clear sound that would easily match expectations for most average music lovers. The treble effect is well balanced with noise cancellation, however TicPods Free does lack high bass compared to others.
In terms of battery life and usage, Tic Pods Free offers less than four hours, which can be considered good enough. Users are not expected to plug the earbuds and play music constantly for 2-3 hours. Overall the battery life is around 17-18 hours, which is combined charging hours in the case as well.
But overall, TicPods Free scores much above some of the other true wireless earbuds available in the market. Unlike, Apple iPods which are benchmark, expensive and top-notch products but only work with Apple products, Mobvoi TicPods Free come far cheaper and works across the board.
It supports both Android and Apple products as well as other products. Making TicPods Free far better and affordable option for customers. And this is a decisive fact, that most users would agree to consider them when they plan to buy wireless earbuds.
TicPods Free is also a good option even for Apple product users as well. It can be used as the secondary earbuds as it’s affordable, handy and supports a wide range of products.
Having said that, for most users in India, Mobvoi TicPods Free is still on the high side of their budget. Priced at Rs 8,499, Mobvoi TicPods Free is certainly keeping many potential time buyers in India from owing their first true wireless earbuds.
At that price, they can get an entire new smartphone with, loads of functionalities and features. So it needs to re-look at the pricing for sure.
Besides the price factor, TechHerald in its review, found Mobvoi TicPods Free – an impressive true wireless earbuds but costly. Overall, TicPods Free earned a rating of 3.5 rating out of 5.