With the increased competition in the consumer electronics space, manufacturers across categories are scrambling to get a piece of the market share in whatever way they can. We have seen sister companies share design and product ideas with each other, often coming out with products that are essentially the same but carry a different brand name. At the Digit Test Centre in Mumbai, we have had two such products very recently. Of the two, one landed in a category I work on. These were the POCO Pods.
POCO launched their TWS earbuds with a lot of hype. But when they turned up at the Digit Test Centre, I found out that they were essentially the Redmi Buds 4 Active, with a few tweaks made to the case. Essentially a change of shape. Having already put the Redmi Buds 4 Active through their paces when I was reviewing them, I was curious to see what lay in the case of the POCO Pods. And the findings were… Not surprising at all. Here’s what I found out after testing the POCO Pods –
POCO Pods: Build and Design
In terms of the design, my thoughts were somewhat the same as with the Redmi Buds 4 Active. The case of the POCO Pods has a dual-tone colour scheme, but it is a bit more aggressive here. The case, which has a sturdy hinge which can be used to pull off a party trick (read my other review to find out), and good quality materials used in its construction, especially for the price, has a black-coloured outer shell with a yellow inside cavity. The branding is a bit more aggressive on these earbuds, with POCO’s logo making its appearance on the front of the case in yellow colour.
The shape is where we see the biggest change from the Redmi Buds. While Redmi’s offering had a shape leaning towards oval, the shape of the POCO Pods is much more circular. Around the circumference of the case, we see the same with the POCO Pods. Moving to the earbuds.
The buds are a 1:1 remake of the Redmi Buds 4 Active. In my review of the Buds 4 Active, they are comfortable to wear for longer periods of time. I loved their fit, and being a fan of the stem-shaped design of the earbuds, I loved the way these earbuds sit in my ears. Even during my runs in the Mumbai heat, the buds held up against the light sweat, thanks to their IPX4 rating.
POCO Pods: Features
Much like the Redmi Buds 4 Active, the POCO Pods come with a concise yet robust set of features. While there isn’t an extensive array of features with these earbuds, what’s included holds its ground quite well. Now, why didn’t I conclude the sentence with “solid”? Well, that will become clear soon.
First off, let’s talk about the positives. And the highlight here is the pairing process. Getting these earbuds into pairing mode is a breeze. Admittedly, it’s not the most intuitive – you need to take the earbuds out of the case, put them in your ears, and give each of the stems three taps. But once they’re in pairing mode, the process is reliable. The fast pairing feature with compatible devices also works like a charm. I’ve had experiences with more expensive earbuds boasting Google Fast Pair, but I must say, the Redmi Buds 4 Active hold their own in this department.
Now, let’s come to the part I most gripe about – the controls. The control scheme of these earbuds is the one area where I expected Xiaomi to put in some extra elbow grease and refine things. It’s a hit-and-miss situation, particularly when it comes to changing tracks. The responsiveness leaves something to be desired, and it’s an area I hope the brand improves either in its next version or through a firmware update.
Notably, the lack of volume control on the earbuds is another downside, causing them to lose a point in my book. Granted, such a feature isn’t common in this price range, but I’d gladly pay an extra ₹250 to ₹500 for better controls and a couple more features. It’s a missed opportunity, for sure. As it stands, the control limitations are a dealbreaker for me, personally.
In terms of the app, there’s not much to elaborate on. You’ll find a battery indicator and a toggle switch to turn the low latency mode on and off. Limited, but useful. These earbuds also come with Environmental Noise Cancellation (ENC) for listening. This nifty feature utilises software algorithms to pick up on any unusual sounds in your environment and counteract them. Given the price point these earbuds are retailing, this addition is a pleasant surprise. The results can be quite impressive when paired with the right-sized ear tips – and you get three options to choose from.
POCO Pods: Performance and Battery Life
In terms of performance as well, these earbuds were almost the same as the Redmi Buds 4 Active. There was a noticeable boost in the bass frequencies, which meant that while the fans of bass-forward sound would love these earbuds and the thump that Bollywood, hip-hop, and related genres pack, the purists, or people who are listening to more vocal-forward music, wouldn’t find the sound to be as appealing.
Now, as I said, if you are a fan of hip-hop or Bollywood music, then you would love these earbuds. These earbuds nail the sound signature required for bass-heavy tracks, and when I listened to tracks like Obsessed to draw parallels with the Buds 4 Active, my observations carried through. The track was well rounded with most instruments being clear and the track packing the thump that I assume the artist wanted to put in with this track.
The ENC worked similar to what I saw on the Redmi Buds 4 Active. While some of the sharper sounds like that of a mechanical keyboard and clicking of pens around the office were audible throughout, slightly more muted sounds like that of the AC, and similar droning sounds coming from our PC’s fans were also drowned out by these earbuds.
The low latency mode was again responsible for a chunk of battery drain during my gaming sessions. However, it was effective, and coupled with the decent microphone performance of these earbuds during my gaming sessions, meant that I had a really nice experience overall, better than some of the similarly priced gaming earbuds.
As for the battery life, during my testing, it came in at around 4 hours and 20 minutes, which is 5 minutes more than what I had recorded on the Redmi Buds 4 Active. However, that can be attributed to the marginal errors that might have crept in during my battery drain test. The claimed battery life on these earbuds is 5 hours on a single charge, so the 40-minute deficit is something that I would keep an eye on, but is certainly not a deal breaker at this price.
POCO Pods: Verdict
If you are out in the market for a pair of TWS earbuds under ₹1,500 then you can definitely go for the POCO Pods. These are retailing at ₹1,199 at the time of writing, and for that price, make for a great pair of entry-level TWS earbuds. The only real competition that they have is the Redmi Buds 4 Active, which I have spoken enough about in this review. They are selling at ₹1,399 at the time of writing, making the POCO Pods seem like a better deal. So, I would say, wishlist both these earbuds, and whichever comes down in price first during the sales, go for it!
POCO Pods ENC Bluetooth Headset Key Specs, Price and Launch Date
| Release Date: | |
| Market Status: | Launched |
Key Specifications
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Satvik Pandey
Satvik Pandey, is a self-professed Steve Jobs (not Apple) fanboy, a science & tech writer, and a sports addict. At Digit, he works as a Deputy Features Editor, and manages the daily functioning of the magazine. He also reviews audio-products (speakers, headphones, soundbars, etc.), smartwatches, projectors, and everything else that he can get his hands on. A media and communications graduate, Satvik is also an avid shutterbug, and when he's not working or gaming, he can be found fiddling with any camera he can get his hands on and helping produce videos – which means he spends an awful amount of time in our studio. His game of choice is Counter-Strike, and he's still attempting to turn pro. He can talk your ear off about the game, and we'd strongly advise you to steer clear of the topic unless you too are a CS junkie. View Full Profile
