I Looked For An ‘AirPods For Android’ Alternative And Found My Perfect Pair Of Earbuds
Zac Kew-Denniss / Android Authority
I’ve noticed a question asked more often of late when discussing Bluetooth earbuds. “When are we going to get AirPods for Android?” That question isn’t what it seems on the surface. AirPods already pair with Android phones, with limited functionality, and it’s almost certain that Apple won’t improve that experience. No, what users like me want is an AirPods equivalent for Android — a default choice to turn to. Google’s Pixel Buds Pro 2 are the obvious choice, but I think the Beats Studio Buds Plus are a good alternative for one big reason, and what do you know? Apple makes them!
To begin, let me explain why people are drawn to AirPods. When Apple released the AirPods in 2016 alongside the iPhone 7, they weren’t the first Bluetooth earbuds, but they were one of the first to go mainstream, thanks in no large part to the iPhone 7 dropping the headphone jack. In the nearly nine years since, AirPods have become the defacto earbud for iPhone users. The AirPods Pro 2 sound great and have some excellent features, but what matters most is that they’re so easy to use. You pop the lid, tap the button that pops up on your iPhone, and start listening to music.
If you’re exclusively an Android user, then yes, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 fit that description just as well. But what if you carry a dual Android and iOS citizenship like me? Pixel Buds drop out of the equation for the same reason as AirPods. You can pair them to iOS devices and listen to music, but you’re stuck if you want to change any settings on your iPhone or iPad.
Lil Katz / Android Authority
Some will see the name Beats and disregard everything I’m about to say. The brand has had a reputation for trendy, fashionable products that sound dreadful and bass-heavy. That remained the case even after Apple bought the company in 2014, but the products have greatly improved over the last few years. The Beats Studio Buds Plus might not sound as good as the AirPods Pro 2, but in my experience, they sound better than the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro they’ve replaced. The features are solid, with good ANC, excellent microphones, and spatial audio. None of those features make the Studio Buds Plus stand out, though. It’s the interoperability across ecosystems that makes these my go-to earbuds.
The Beats Studio Buds Plus’ special sauce is their ability to seamlessly work with any Android or iOS device without compromising on features.
Pairing the Beats Studio Buds Plus with an Android or iOS device is an almost identical experience. Pop the lid and press the pairing button, and Android’s Fast Pair menu will pop up, offering to connect, and the iPhone will do the same thing. The only difference between the two platforms is the next step. On the iOS device, everything is finished, and the controls for your buds live in the settings app, just like AirPods. You can start listening on Android at this point, but you’ll need to download the Beats app to update the firmware or change any settings.
One of the things I appreciate the most about the Beats is how well the Bluetooth multipoint connections work, maintaining two active connections at a time. So, if they’re connected to a phone and a tablet, they’ll seamlessly switch inputs as needed. The magic happens when you need to use them with a third or fourth device. With other earbuds I’ve tried, the only way to switch them to a phone that isn’t one of the active connections is to open the Bluetooth menu and manually connect.
Not so with the Beats. In the screenshot above, they were connected to my ThinkPhone 25 and Galaxy Tab S10 Plus. When I clicked play on my Galaxy S24, the video paused for half a second. The earbuds played a little chime to let me know they’d reconnected, and then the video resumed automatically through my earbuds without my input. A notification pops up to tell you the buds have switched, which you can tap to reverse the process if it isn’t what you intended.
Another part of the experience that has been better than anything else I’ve tried is that I only needed to pair these earbuds twice — once with an iOS device and then a second time with an Android phone — and everything worked right away. Apple links the buds to your Apple ID so that any device, iPhone, iPad, or Mac, is paired. Your Android phone does the same thing with Fast Pair, with the buds showing up as paired on any Android device or Chromebook signed in with the same Google account. You can pair them to a Windows PC with functional multipoint connections, but you won’t get an app, and it doesn’t link to other Windows devices in the same way.
They’re not perfect for everyone, but the Beats Studio Buds Plus are a jack of all trades for me.
There are better earbuds out there. The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro has better ANC, and the Pixel Buds offer seamless Android integration and impressive Gemini features. But neither of those can work across operating systems in the way that the Beats can. For those of us who like to use Android and iOS interchangeably, these are one of the few pairs of earbuds that can accommodate that, and that’s valuable enough to me that I can overlook any weaknesses elsewhere.
Beats Studio Buds Plus
Beats Studio Buds Plus
Lightweight, compact, and translucent design • Android-friendly features through Beats app • Longer battery life than before
The Beats Studio Buds Plus are good earbuds for listeners who hop between Android and iOS. Beats’ active noise canceling is a step up from the original Studio Buds. Small housings and a range of ear tip options make these a joy to wear for hours at a time.
