Realme is one of the fastest-growing tech companies in the world right now and it isn’t just limited to smartphones. Realme Nepal has finally launched some new arsenal of accessories to challenge its rivals on the market. Four of them are now available across all Realme offline stores and on Daraz from August 11.
I have decided to overview the two new buds from Realme side by side to make it easier for you to make your decision. Since both of the buds’ name and profile are similar, I would like to point out that the Buds Air Neo is the cheaper variant with much fewer features as compared to the higher end Buds Air.
Realme Buds Air and Realme Buds Air Neo
Both the buds are identical except for the silver ring at the bottom on the Realme Buds Air. The Neo buds weigh 4.1grams each with a 30.5g case whereas the Buds Air weighs 4.2 grams each with a 42.5g case. The lesser price tag on the Neo results in it having a micro-USB charging port as compared to the USB Type-C port on the Buds Air. Now, the confusing part here is that the company claims that Neo has an IPX4 rating for protection against basic water splashes while Buds Air lacks any rating at all. I don’t think IPX4 makes that much of a difference but I will have to test them both to confirm it. More details on our full review.
For connectivity, both the buds flaunt the latest Bluetooth 5.0 technology and support AAC and SBC audio codecs over HFP/HSP/A2DP/AVRCP protocols. Both are powered by Realme’s own R1 chip which the company claims provide instant connectivity, low latency, and better battery life. With gaming mode turning on, both buds improve the latency by 51% from around 240ms to 120ms which is impressive as compared to any other buds on the market. Also, both buds have Google Fast Pair protocol for instant-auto connection once taken out of the case. Both buds support touch control for play/pause, voice assistant, answering calls, and many more.
The differences between them start now. Confusingly, Neo has a 13mm bass boost driver compared to the 12mm on the latter. However, the driver side doesn’t actually define the audio quality and I need to test them both out to give you my honest review. Another difference is the lack of optical sensor on the Neo i.e. the higher end Buds Air automatically pause the music once you take them out of your ear and resume if you plug them back in. Also, the secondary microphone only found on the Buds Air has ENC (Environment Noise Cancellation) which is a toned-down version of ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) found in the most expensive earbuds like the Apple Air pods Pro. It helps to minimize background noise during calls so the overall call quality should be better on the Buds Air.
Also Read: realme Watch and realme Band Launched in Nepal: New Players in Budget Fitness Tracking Market!
Despite being globally launched months ago, Realme has revealed the exact battery capacity of neither the cases nor the buds. The company claims that both the buds can last 3 hours on a single charge and when fully charged, the cases of both buds deliver 14 hours of extra battery life. The cheaper Neo’s case still has the old micro-USB port and takes about 2 hours to fully charge it from empty whereas the OG Buds Air with its USB Type-C port is asserted to charge within 1.5 hours. It’s a great sight to see wireless charging made available on the Buds Air as we only get to taste it on the most expensive earbuds. The Neo cuts corners with the lack of wireless charging and hence it’s cheaper so, no complaints there.
Specifications
| realme Buds Air Neo | realme Buds Air | |
| Sound driver Dimension | 13mm bass boost driver | 12mm bass boost driver |
| Chipset | Custom R1 Chip from Realme | Custom R1 Chip from Realme |
| Weight | 4.1g (each earphone) 30.5g (case) | 4.2g (each earphone) 42.3g (case) |
| Bluetooth | Version 5.0 with 10m (30ft) range | Version 5.0 with 10m (30ft) range |
| Protocols | HSP / HFP / A2DP /AVRCP | HSP / HFP / A2DP /AVRCP |
| Audio Codec | SBC, AAC | SBC, AAC |
| Play Time | 3 hours (17 hours with charging case) | 3 hours (17 hours with charging case) |
| Control | Earbuds Touch (Customizable via Realme Link App) | Earbuds Touch (Customizable via Realme Link App) |
| Features | Low latency Game mode, Google Fast Pair, IPX4 rating | Wear Detection, Low latency Game mode, Google Fast Pair |
| Noise Cancellation | Single-mic ENC | Dual-mic ENC |
| Charging Interface | Micro-USB port | USB Type-C port + Qi Wireless |
| Colors | White only | Black, Yellow, White |
| Price | Rs. 5599 | Rs. 6999 |
realme Buds Air Price in Nepal | realme Buds Air Neo Price in Nepal:
| Product | Price in Nepal (MRP) |
| realme Buds Air | Rs. 6999 |
| realme Buds Air Neo | Rs. 5599 |
In conclusion, Neo brings the same level of audio quality and battery life to the table at a cheaper price tag while lacking some features. If you can weigh out your budget and the features you find important for your earbuds, I think these two are the best choices you got on the market right now. I think you can’t go wrong with any of them.
