The 2023 Mobile World Congress started to an exciting start, with Xiaomi holding a real product launch on the afternoon of the 26th. The Xiaomi 13 and 13 Pro were unveiled in Europe, two new high-end handsets from the manufacturer. The show lasted nearly an hour and a half, and there was also time for premium accessories.
Xiaomi is no stranger to the world of wireless earbuds, having launched several models in the past, but now it seems to have reached the same level as its competitors – in this case, Apple’s AirPods Pro. True, Apple’s headphones remain the best choice for iPhones, iPads, and Macs, but Apple’s headphones are (surprisingly) not the only ones that can be used with these devices, so many people are choosing AirPods for their Android phones simply because of their superior quality.
For such users, Xiaomi is now looking to offer an alternative, with its Buds 4 Pro wireless earbuds ticking off quite a few things on a certain imaginary list of requirements for the perfect pair of earbuds.
The Xiaomi Buds 4 Pro is equipped with Sony’s LDAC technology, which allows for data transfer rates of up to 990 kbps and up to 32-bit bit depth, as well as Hi-Res wireless audio support. In terms of appearance, the earbuds look almost identical to the AirPods Pros, except for the colour options available and the look of the cradle that serves as a charger. It also follows that the Xiaomi Buds 4 Pro, like Apple’s earbuds, also fits in the ear canal, making noise cancellation available.
This is a very good value – if, of course, it happens in real life. In addition, the Buds 4 Pro’s built-in Dimensional Audio feature detects users’ head movements and adjusts the sound according to their spatial position – a feature Apple users may know as Spatial Audio.
According to the official specs, Xiaomi’s new headphones offer nine hours of uninterrupted listening on a single charge, which puts them at the top of their class, but in practice we believe the Buds 4 Pro will deliver slightly less. The charger can add a further 38 hours to that nine, so on a single full charge, the Buds can pull the headphones back up to 100 per cent more than four times.
The Buds 4 Pro also supports automatic switching between devices, and thanks to the Xiaomi Earbuds app, users can now adjust sound settings such as noise cancellation levels for the first time through an app.
