Xiaomi launches Mi Neckband Pro Bluetooth headphones with ANC

Neckband earbuds have taken second place in recent times to true wireless earbuds and premium on-ear headphones, but they still strike a great balance between price and battery life. Xiaomi previously launched its Mi Neckband Bluetooth headset last year, but it’s upping the stakes significantly with a recently announced Pro model.

Xiaomi India has revealed the Mi Neckband Pro Bluetooth Earphones, and it features a number of improvements over last year’s product. For starters, the Pro variant offers active noise cancellation (ANC), with the company claiming its solution is capable of reducing noise by 25 decibels.

The Mi Neckband Pro Bluetooth earphones are also rated IPX5, which makes them splash and sweat resistant. This was lacking in last year’s model, so there’s some peace of mind here if you find yourself caught in the rain or exercising.

What else should you expect?

The new headset also offers up to 20 hours of playtime compared to the standard model rated for up to eight hours of endurance. It should be noted, however, that the endurance of the Pro variant is based on a 50% volume, while the nominal reading of the standard model was based on an 80% volume. There is also no word on how long the Pro model plays with ANC enabled. In addition, the new headset has a slightly larger battery than the old one (150mAh vs. 140mAh).

Other notable features include voice assistant support through your phone’s assistant, low latency audio, and a 10mm woofer. Another noticeable feature (but not in a good way) is microUSB charging, which is a bit of a letdown in 2021. Fortunately, the price makes up for the choice of charging port.

Expect to pay Rs 1,799 (~ $ 25) for the Mi Neckband Pro Bluetooth headphones. This puts it below the OnePlus Bullets Wireless Z, although the two devices share similar battery life and the same IP rating. Xiaomi’s device does serve the ANC, however, which the OnePlus headphones lack. Meanwhile, the OnePlus gadget offers fast charging (ten minutes of charging gives you ten hours of playback), while the Xiaomi accessory takes up to 1.5 hours to fully charge.

This isn’t the only product Xiaomi announced today, as the company also revealed the Mi Portable Bluetooth Speaker (see above). This gadget contains 16W sound, the ability to pair two of these speakers for stereo sound, and voice assistant support through your phone’s assistant.

The speaker also offers an IPX7 water resistance rating, allowing it to be submerged in up to one meter of water for 30 minutes. And you get up to 13 hours of endurance on paper, with charging via a USB-C port.

The Mi portable Bluetooth speaker retails for Rs 2,499 (~ $ 35) and will be available in black and blue color options.

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