If you've ordered one of Apple's new iPhone 12 models, you have already discovered that the box no longer includes earbuds or any sort of headphones. The last few iPhone iterations have not had a 3.5mm headphone jack, and now that the wired EarPods are no longer included, shifting to wireless headphones feels like an even more obvious option.
Apple will be glad to sell you its AirPods, AirPods Pro or the Powerbeats Pro from its Beats subsidiary. And sure, those models are on this list, but the idea here is to give plenty of alternative iPhone 12 headphone options, including some good budget models that are highly affordable. Since these are Bluetooth headphones, they do work with other Bluetooth-enabled devices as well, including Android smartphones.
For AirPods alternatives that aren't too expensive, check out our picks for best true wireless earbuds that cost less than $50 and best true wireless earbuds under $100.
We update this list periodically.
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Sony's earlier WH-1000XM3 model was great. But if it had a weakness, that was its voice-calling capabilities, particularly in noisier environments. The new WH-1000XM4 improves in that area and also adds multipoint Bluetooth pairing so you can connect to two devices - such as your phone and PC - at the same time. This means that if a call comes in while you're using the headphones with your computer, the audio will switch to your phone when you answer the call.
The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 probably still have the edge for voice calls, but the 1000XM4 headphones are arguably a tad more comfortable. They also have some other improvements to noise cancellation and sound, making this model a great all-around choice.
Read our Sony WH-1000XM4 review.
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Water-resistant: No (no IPX rating)
I didn't think I'd ever see a version 2.0 of Beats' once-popular BeatsX neckband-style wireless earphones, but it's arrived with a new name - the Beats Flex - and a much-cheaper $50 (£50, AU$80) price tag, which is half of what its predecessor had been selling for.
The Flex instantly becomes an affordable, Apple-friendly wireless alternative to the AirPods, which start around $130 for the standard version with a wired charging case (but will be selling for as low as $99 this holiday season). The good news is they sound better than both the original BeatsX and standard AirPods. They also work well for making calls and have better battery life than the original. The bad news? The design is passe in a world now dominated by true wireless earbuds.
They're available in black or yellow at launch, with gray and light blue arriving in early 2021.
Read our Beats Flex review.
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Water-resistant: Yes (IPX7 rating - fully waterproof).
The Mpow X3 wireless earbuds sound shockingly good for their low price of $60, with good clarity and powerful bass, and they even have active noise cancellation that's fairly effective.
Mpow seems to be regularly tweaking its earphones, and the X3 earbuds were briefly taken off Amazon, before returning with an update. "The new version upgraded the volume control and optimized its active noise-canceling function and call effect," the company told me. "It also added the supersoft ear caps, which [are] more comfortable to wear for a long time."
They did fit me comfortably and securely and I got a tight seal from one of the sets of XL ear tips. They're fully waterproof (IPX7) and get up to 7 hours of battery life at moderate volume levels with USB-C charging. (The charging case looks like a fat version of the standard AirPods case.) Call quality is good - they have a sidetone feature that lets you hear your voice in the earbuds - but I've used other earbuds with better noise reduction during calls. I noticed a touch of audio lag when I streamed a YouTube video but no problems when streaming iTunes movies.
The touch controls take some getting used to - they're a little wonky - and it didn't help that the instructions in the box seemed to be for the old X3 model. I found the current instructions online, which helped me figure things out. Aside from a few minor downsides, Mpow's X3 earbuds are a great value.
Read more.
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Water-resistant: Yes (IPX4 rating - splashproof).
Even if it doesn't sound as magical as you'd hope a $249 model would, the Apple AirPods Pro is still a great pair of true wireless earphones with noise cancelation. That's largely due to the earbuds' winning design and fit, improved bass performance and effective noise cancellation (Apple also recently added a new spatial audio virtual surround sound feature for movie and TV watching on recent iPhones and iPads). These are an excellent choice when you want to make a call or listen to music during your workout. And the new spatial audio feature, when listening from compatible Apple devices, is genuinely impressive.
While they list for $249, in recent weeks we've seen them come down to as low as $200. That's a far better deal, but just keep in mind that, as with all of these headphones, the rechargeable batteries degrade over time and aren't replaceable, so you'll probably have to replace these in a couple of years.
Read our Apple AirPods Pro review.
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Water-resistant: Yes (IPX4 rating - splashproof).
The second-gen Momentum True Wireless 2 aren't cheap at $300, but they're better all around than the originals, with a slightly smaller, more comfortable design, active noise canceling that rivals that of the AirPod Pro, improved battery life (up to 7 hours versus the original's 4) and better noise reduction during calls. And, if you don't like them in black, a white version is slated to follow later this year. Most importantly, though, the Momentum True Wireless 2 have the same stellar sound - for true wireless earbuds, anyway - offering clearly superior sound quality to the AirPods Pro. That makes them arguably the best true wireless earbuds on the market today and earns them a CNET Editors' Choice Award.
These use Bluetooth 5.1 with support for the AAC and AptX codecs (for devices that have AptX, such as Samsung's Galaxy smartphones).
Read our Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 review.
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Water-resistant: No (lacks IPX certification).
The second-gen Apple AirPods add a couple of small but key improvements to the original, including always-on voice recognition and a wireless charging case option. They're also great for making calls, indoors and out.
The base model (without the wireless charging case, which is overkill for this product) has dipped to as low as $115 and will be on sale for $99 for Black Friday this year.
Read our Apple AirPods 2019 review.
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Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, the long-awaited successor to its Quiet Comfort 35 II, may not be a quantum leap forward but these wireless headphones offer better sound quality, call and noise-canceling function. They're strong all-around performers with up to 20 hours of battery life for listening to podcasts, music and more. I prefer the Sony WH-1000XM4's design and fit (and lower price tag), and while you can argue about which pair of headphones sounds better, one thing is certain: This model does work better as a headset for making calls.
Read our Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 review.
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The Solo Pro is the first Beats on-ear headphone to feature active noise cancellation and the first full-size Beats headphone to charge via Lightning. It uses the company's Pure Adaptive Noise Canceling, "derived from the over-ear Studio3 Wireless, with updated tuning to accommodate the on-ear form factor," Beats says. With a tap of a button, you can turn off that noise cancellation to save battery life or hit the button a second time to enter an audio transparency mode that allows you to hear the outside world and ambient sound, not just the music you're listening to.
Available in multiple colors, these headphones are equipped with six microphones, two of which are beamforming mics designed to hone in on your voice when you're making calls or talking to your voice assistant (Apple's H1 chip is on board for always-on Siri). The sound quality is smooth and well-balanced, with punchy bass that doesn't make music sound boomy. It's relatively comfortable for an on-ear model and it's more compact design travels better than some full-size models on this list. I just wish it cost a little less and came with a cable to plug in to in-flight entertainment systems. Alas, the Lightning-to-3.5mm is an optional accessory that costs $35.
Read our Beats Solo Pro review.
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I'm not a fan of cheap noise-canceling headphones. I've actually been struggling to put together a list of models for a best noise-canceling headphones roundup because there are so few that I'd recommend buying. But Anker's Soundcore Life Q20 Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling Headphones are an exception. They're quite decent for their regular list price of $60 and they're frequently on sale for $10 less.
No, the Life Q20 doesn't sound as good as premium models such as the Sony WH-1000XM3, but it sounds decent, which is all you can ask for at this price. It's fairly well balanced with a reasonable amount of clarity and plump bass that's not bloated or muddy. There's also a bass boost or BassUp mode if you want an extra helping. It's also comfortable to wear, the noise-canceling is acceptably effective, it's solid as a headset for making calls and battery life is good at 40 hours. A simple carrying pouch is included.
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