iQOO launched iQOO Buds, the company’s latest true wireless earphones in India, earlier this week, two years after the launch of TWS 1e. The earbuds feature a 10 mm driver, an IP54 splash-resistant body, Bluetooth 6.1, a low-latency gaming experience, and up to 50 h of total playback. Does it live up to the expectations? Let us dive into the review to find out.
Box Contents
- iQOO Buds in Flame Yellow Color
- Ear tips in large and small size (medium installed)
- User manual
Design and Build Quality
Starting with the design, the headset comes in an oval box that fits in your pocket. There is a status light on the front. The iQOO branding is also present on the front. The headset has a plastic finish that is a matte finish. The case measures 63 × 47.76 × 28.06mm and weighs 41.3 grams , and the earbuds measure 31..44 × 21.92 × 23.19mm and weigh just 3.8 grams, which super is light.
The case has a dual-tone finish with a yellow color on the inside that looks attractive.
The USB Type-C port is present on the bottom. You don’t see pairing button.
The earbuds feature an in-ear design and also come with medium-sized ear tips pre-installed. You can change to bundled large- or small-sized ear tips if you wish. The earbuds have a glossy design throughout so it can attract fingerprits easily.
It doesn’t have an optical sensor for wear detection, so you have to rely on touch controls for play/pause. The earphones have IP54 ratings for dust and water resistance that can withstand splashes or light rain, but you can’t use them when swimming.
The fit was perfect, and it doesn’t come out easily, even during strenuous activities like running or workouts. Since they are light, you don’t feel like wearing the earbuds.
Connectivity, Pairing, and Controls
The iQOO Buds supports Bluetooth 6.1 with multi-point connectivity for up to two devices, and the connection range is around 10 meters, which is common in most headsets.
The pairing process is very easy; just open the case, after which the LED on the case should start blinking. This means that iQOO Buds is now ready to be paired to a device. Now open the Bluetooth settings on the phone, and it shows up as iQOO Buds, and you can connect to it. As soon as the connection is established, the blinking LED should go off. You can take the earbuds out of the case and start using. Just disconnect it from the phone when you want to pair it with a new phone.
With the Instant Connection feature available in select iQOO and vivo phones, you just open the charging case to pair them with just one easy click. It also shows the battery life in the case and the earbuds. You can also set different themes for it or use a custom theme.
The Find My TWS feature is also available in select iQOO and vivo phones that lets TWS earbuds call for your attention when you’ve lost them. Find My TWS remembers where your Neo last was and will make it beep through your phone once it comes in range. It has Dual-Channel Transmission 2.0 that allows the left and right earphones to be connected with the mobile phone independently, receiving the single-channel information from the mobile phone respectively, and keeping the sound synchronized.
We tested it on the iQOO Z11 and POCO M8 Power and never faced any pairing-related issues. Since the phone pairs with the case and not the headset, you will need the case if you want to reconnect it. The touch controls on the back are easy to access.
| Function | Left earphone (L) | Right earphone (R) |
| Play/Pause (default) or Music control, Attend Incoming calls / Hang up during call | Double Tap | |
| Next Song | Triple Tap | |
| Press and Hold | Reject Calls | |
On supported vivo/iQOO phones, go to Settings Bluetooth, find the corresponding device, and tap the button to enter the Device Details page, and then tap Shortcut Actions to customize double-tap controls for each earphone. You can customize all these actions, and even set them to turn the volume up or down.
Others can use vEarphones app for Android to change them. You get frequent firmware updates for the earphones that are pushed through the app. The touchpad implementation with customization option is good, and the touch area is large enough.
Audio Quality and Call Performance
The iQOO Buds feature a 10 mm high-resolution moving coil unit (PU + PEEK diaphragm). The bass is on the higher side. High and mid-range frequencies were decent, but not the best.
It has DeepX 4.0 Stereo Sound Effects that have been developed for the earphones. It offers six sound effects—Standard, Mega Bass, Clear Voice, Clear High Pitch, Esports sound effect—and a dedicated Immersive Audiobook Mode. There is a custom EQ option as well. You also get spatial audio simulation across four presets: Theater, Concert Hall, Studio, and Live Concert.
The earbuds feature 42 ms low gaming latency, which is useful especially when playing games.
Call Performance
The earbuds employ AI-backed dual-mic environmental noise cancellation (ENC) along with a physical cross-flow duct and chamber structure designed to reduce wind resistance and sudden ambient sounds during calls. This worked well for calls and cuts out the wind noise easily.
Battery Life
The earphones pack a 53 mAh battery that promises about 12 hours of standalone battery life. During my use, in about 50% of the volume, it lasted around the promised time. For calls, it is less. It takes about an hour to charge the buds.
With the 525mAh charging case, it promises up to 50 hours of battery life. It takes about two hours to charge the case fully.
Conclusion
The iQOO Buds emerge as a solid, dependable pair of entry-level true wireless earbuds that get the basics right. The combination of an ultra-lightweight fit, reliable Bluetooth 6.1 with dual-device multi-point support, low 42 ms gaming latency, and a massive 50-hour total battery life makes them a practical daily driver—especially for gamers and users within the vivo/iQOO ecosystem.
While the absence of Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and in-ear wear detection is noticeable, the punchy bass response, clear AI ENC call quality, and IP54 splash resistance make them easy to recommend for budget-conscious buyers looking for endurance and connectivity above all else.
Pricing and availability
The iQOO Buds is priced at Rs. 1,899. It will be available from Amazon.in starting from August 24, 2026, at 12:00 PM.
Pros
- Bluetooth 6.1 with multi-point connectivity
- Punchy bass and good call quality with AI ENC
- Excellent battery life
- Ultra-lightweight and secure fit
Cons
- No Active Noise Cancellation (ANC)
- Glossy earbud finish attracts fingerprints
- Lacks in-ear wear detection sensors