Lenovo Smart Wireless Earbuds Review: Solid, but nothing spectacular

• Andrew
• 3 years ago

On one hand, we have earbuds like the AirPods Pro and Sony WF-1000XM4 that lead the way in the premium market. But once you get below $100, the competition is extremely fierce, and pretty much every company is trying to get in on the boom.

Lenovo is one of those company’s that has already been in the mid-range (or budget) market for years. But now that technology has improved so much, it’s now trying to meet all of your needs with the Lenovo Smart Wireless Earbuds.

Lenovo Smart Wireless Earbuds Review: Specs

• 11mm drivers
• Smart Adaptive Noise Cancellation
• Enhanced Multipoint
• USB-C Charging
• Bluetooth 5.2
• IPX4 Water Resistance
• Battery Life: 5.4 hours (ANC on) / 7 hours (ANC off)
• 10 min charge = 60 min playback time
• Size: 28.4 x 47.7 x 56mm (buds)
• Weight: 4.5g (buds), 50g (total)

Lenovo Smart Wireless Earbuds Review: What We Like

In 2022, there are a few things that should be a foregone conclusion when it comes to features. These include features such as USB-C and wireless charging, some type of water resistance, some form of noise cancellation, and long-lasting battery life. The Lenovo Smart Wireless Earbuds checks all of those boxes, and then some, by adding extra features such as Enhanced Multipoint and fast charging.

Enhanced Multipoint has become one of my favorite features when trying out new headphones, as it’s similar to what Apple offers with my beloved AirPods Pro. Being able to instantly switch between my Surface Laptop Studio and Pixel 6 Pro is extremely handy. Instead of needing to reset and re-pair the earbuds every time, I just need to open up the case with the earbuds inside and can start listening on either of my devices.

My next favorite feature of the Smart Wireless Earbuds has more to do with Lenovo’s app than the earbuds themselves. Gone are the days when you don’t have any control over how your music sounded or had to rely on third-party apps in order to change up the EQ. From the Lenovo Smart Wearable app, I can adjust the EQ with ease, while also being able to set up the Earbuds to use Google Assistant for hands-free control.

Another area where Lenovo got things right with the Smart Wireless Earbuds is with the design. There are three different sets of ear-tips to pick from, but the decision to stick with a “classic” stem design pays dividends for my needs. I don’t move around all that much, but unlike other wireless earbuds that I’ve tested, I don’t find myself constantly adjusting them to fit properly. Lenovo nailed it here by going with this design as opposed to going down the Galaxy Buds or Sony route.

Lenovo Smart Wireless Earbuds Review: What We Don’t

I have a lot of praise for Lenovo’s Enhanced Multipoint, but there’s a catch – it doesn’t always work as advertised. This is especially true if I’m already listening to something on my Pixel 6 Pro and want to switch over to the laptop. Most of the time, I just have to take the earbuds out, put them in the case, close the lid, re-open the lid, start the media on my laptop, and then I can put the earbuds in. It’s a convoluted solution that “works” but is still a bit frustrating.

Something else that’s bothersome is the size of the case itself. Of course, these aren’t “premium” earbuds, but I still would have liked a smaller charging case. Lenovo combats that by offering both USB-C and wireless charging here, which is something that can’t be said about a lot of the competition. But I just found the case too bulky to comfortably put in my pocket when I leave the apartment.

Finally, this last one really shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. But Lenovo’s “Smart Adaptive Noise Cancellation” just doesn’t work that well. On multiple occasions I found myself double-checking the Lenovo app to make sure that ANC was enabled, just because I heard too much of my surroundings, even in my office. Maybe this can be fixed in a future software update, but it just didn’t meet my expectations.

Lenovo Smart Wireless Earbuds Review: Conclusion

When you’re looking at earbuds that cost under $100, there are definitely going to be a few compromises. But it’s still hard to wholeheartedly recommend the Lenovo Smart Wireless Earbuds. That’s not because these headphones are bad, because they definitely are not.

However, when you look at the competition, it’s tough to justify the cost when comparing them to something like the Nothing Ear 1 earbuds. You could even spend around the same amount of money and get refurbished Galaxy Buds 2, which are definitely better.

Lenovo did a lot of things right with its latest set of earbuds, but it’s just tough to tell you to go out and buy these. If you’re a fan of the stem design and want something different, then the Smart Wireless Earbuds will be just fine. But there’s not enough here to set these apart from the competition.

Buy the Lenovo Smart Wireless Earbuds