It used to be the only accessory necessity most smartphone owners needed was a case to protect their shine new flagship. But in today’s world, it seems as if another accessory is now virtually a “must-have.” I’m of course talking about wireless earbuds.
Quick Overview:
- Echo Buds – $129.00 via Amazon
- Surface Earbuds – $199.99 via Microsoft Store
- Quick Verdict: The Surface Earbuds look better and make a lot of sense if you’re a heavy user in Microsoft’s ecosystem. However, for $70 less, the Echo Buds offer more every-day features like Alexa support.
The wireless earbuds craze was really kicked off my Apple, but since then virtually every company has gotten in on it. In this VS, we’ll take a look at how Amazon’s Echo Buds stack up against Microsoft’s Surface Earbuds.
Design
- Echo Buds – The Echo Buds look more “techie” thanks to their shiny design. They come in black and they also include a selection of three differently-sized ear tips so you can choose the right fit for your ear.
- Surface Earbuds – The Surface Earbuds feature a radically different design. They can be likened to a cork stop with a broad flat surface on top. You basically look like you’re wearing a flat white coin in your ears.
Winner? Surface Earbuds – Yeah, they look a bit 1960’s sci-fi, but the odd appearance makes them stand out in an era of lookalikes.
Audio & Connectivity
- Echo Buds – The Echo Buds also feature dual beam-forming microphones and an accelerometer, as well as connecting over Bluetooth too. When it comes to audio quality they offer Bose Active Noise Reduction technology.
- Surface Earbuds – The Surface Earbuds feature dual microphones and connect over Bluetooth, too.
Winner? Echo Buds – The Bose Active Noise Reduction technology will get you better sound.
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Battery & Charging
- Echo Buds – The Echo Buds get you 5 hours of use and their case gets you 20 hours in total. However, the Echo Buds do not have a wireless charging case option.
- Surface Earbuds – The Surface Earbuds get you 8 hours of use and their case gets you 24 hours in total. However, the Surface Earbuds only offer a wired charging case.
Winner? Surface Earbuds – 8 hours of usage on a single charge is pretty impressive.
Voice Assistant
- Echo Buds – The Echo Buds support hands-free Alexa commands. However, they also support Siri and Google Assistant via tap controls. These voice assistants aren’t built into the Buds, but if you have an iPhone or Pixel phone, you can use the Buds to interact with those assistants.
- Surface Earbuds – The Surface Earbuds offer app-specific assistant features. For example, you can reply to emails in Outlook on some smartphones and use the touch controls to advance PowerPoint slides on others.
Winner? Echo Buds – Supporting the three most popular voice assistants is a clear winner.
Cost
- Echo Buds – $129.99
- Surface Earbuds – $199.99
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Verdict?
As big of a fan as we are about the flat look of the Surface Earbuds and their 8-hour battery life, we don’t think the $199 price is justified when compared to what you get with the Amazon Echo Buds for $129.
Some of the Echo Buds’ features blow the Surface Earbud’s offerings away, like the Bose Active Noise “Reduction” Technology and support for not just Alexa, but Apple’s Siri and Google Assistant as well (depending on what phone you’re using.
In short, the Surface Earbuds look badass, but feature for feature, the Echo Buds are more versatile–and cost-effective.
Be sure to also check out our Apple’s AirPods Pro vs Amazon’s Echo Buds comparison!
Amazon’s Echo Buds (2019) vs Microsoft’s Surface Earbuds (2019): Full Specs
Here are the specs for the Echo Buds:
- Connectivity: Bluetooth
- Wireless charging: No
- Battery Life: 5 hours Echo Buds use, 20+ hours with charging case
- Sensors: Dual beam-forming microphones, Accelerometer, proximity, touch
- Voice assistant support: Alexa, Siri, Google Assistant
- Noise Cancellation: No, but they have Bose Active Noise “Reduction” Technology
- Sweat resistant: Yes
And here are the specs for the Surface Earbuds:
- Connectivity: Bluetooth
- Wireless charging: No
- Battery Life: 8 hours Surface Earbuds use, 24 hours with charging case
- Sensors: Dual microphones, Touch
- Voice assistant support: App specific
- Noise Cancellation: No
- Sweat and water resistant: Yes
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