Earbuds rank among the gadgets with the most oddities. Some earbuds let you carry perfume on the go, earbuds whose charging case is a literal pointer device, earbuds with charging cases as compact as a lipstick, and there is even one that is literally a smartphone. Yet, despite all that creativity, nobody thought to flatten the charging case. Well, that’s until now.
Folks, meet what could very well be one of the slimmest true wireless earbuds around. Measuring a mere 6 mm thick, the SIAX Foldable Wireless Earbuds, as it is called, look less like a charging case and more like a sleek aluminum cardholder that, believe it or not, contains a pair of earbuds. Yes, really!
The trick lies in the earbuds themselves. Instead of dropping into a deep charging cradle like conventional TWS earbuds, they fold flat on articulated hinges. Close the lid, and they neatly tuck themselves into the ultra-thin case without any fiddling on your part. Not going to lie, it is oddly satisfying to watch.
But it is not without trade-offs. Because it is goddamn thin, the battery is modest. To solve this, SIAX came up with an idea that will not please fans of thin phones or habitual users of wireless charging. It comes with an accessory that you can stick to the back of your phone to serve as a charging dock with a continuous supply of power from your phone.
Needless to say, this takes away your phone’s wireless charging feature because the accessory is in the way, and that’s not to mention it will bulk up your phone. As a boon, with the charging case docked, it can double as a phone stand by flipping open the lid.
Under the hood, the earbuds pack 13 mm dynamic drivers, Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity, a dedicated low-latency gaming mode, and an ergonomic earbud design that SIAX says is inspired by the larger earbuds many grew up with in the ’90s and early 2000s.
Interestingly, the SIAX Foldable Wireless Earbuds had quite a number of video reviews in China back in April, but the product cannot be found on popular Chinese e-commerce websites. However, we did find a few stores on AliExpress selling it for around US$50-plus. There’s also a website selling it for US$49.99. However, be reminded that we are not endorsing those websites, so be your own judge.
Images: SIAX [CH].