Conscientiously speaking, the new Oppo Enco Free True Wireless Earbuds is without doubt a blatant knock-off of Apple AirPods. I cannot in my clear conscience to say it isn’t. Aesthetically speaking, that is.
Also, I am still hating the stem on earbud. It is ugly as hell. But when Apple does it, everyone else think it is OK. I beg to differ. The notch on phone, the stem and the camera bump – all which are popularized by Apple are the worst things to ever happen to the design world.
However, I understand some of you maybe a fan of having stems sticking out of your ears while also prefer not to splurge as AirPods can be quite pricey. This is where a lookalike, albeit with a totally different innards, like the Oppo Enco Free TWS could be a worthy consideration.
While it may look much like the Apple AirPods with the no silicone ear tip design, it in fact does come with a silicone ear tip. Plus, the Enco Free’s specs really read more like the Apple AirPods Pro.
It features AI uplink noise cancellation, ultra-dynamic drivers, binaural simultaneous Bluetooth transmission (basically, each earbud connects to the phone independently), and it claimed to have six patented technologies that “enhance the detail, bass, and dynamic range of your music.”
Here’s a look at what’s under the hood:
Finally, there’s the charging case that, again, looks exceedingly like Apple AirPods’ – save for the Oppo strip up front. The strip is where you will find the LED status indicator. It is worthy to note that the case charges via USB-C and appears to have no wireless charging capability. The earbuds itself offers 5 hours of use and the charging offers an additional 20 hours.
So, how much for this new kid in the TWS block? Well, about that. Oppo initially planned to bring it to MWC 2020 where we were expecting a global pricing, but now that MWC 2020 is officially called off due to the outbreak of coronavirus (now, officially named COVID19), we will have to wait and see.
However, if anyone care to know, the Oppo Enco Free True Wireless Earbuds, which was officially announced along with the Oppo Reno3 Pro last December in China, sells for 699 yuan in China (or around 100 bucks).
Images: Oppo/Twitter (@BrianShenYiRen).
