Acer, primarily recognised for its laptops, appears to be facing challenges in its attempt to enter the Indian smartphone market. The company has unexpectedly withdrawn its earlier plan to launch the Acer Super ZX Series smartphones on April 25. This reversal comes despite prior announcements and preparations for the release.
Last year, Indkal Technologies had entered into a partnership with Acer to bring Acer-branded smartphones to the Indian market. As part of this collaboration, the companies had outlined plans to target the budget smartphone segment. About three weeks ago, they had reiterated their commitment by promoting the upcoming Super ZX Series as a combination of high-performance hardware and competitive pricing, specifically designed to appeal to cost-conscious consumers.
However, the sudden change in launch plans raises questions about Acer’s readiness to compete in the smartphone space, especially in a market as competitive and price-sensitive as India.
While the company promised at the launch event that the Acer Super ZX series smartphones would go on sale on April 25, this never happened. A similar incident happened with the launch event, which was delayed from March 25 to April 15 without conveying any proper reason.
At the time of writing this article, the Amazon microsite created for the devices’ launch still states that they will go on sale on April 25, which is concerning as the brand hasn’t been updating the page and is also not clearly communicating its plans with the consumers.
If that wasn’t enough, there’s no listing page for the phones on Acer’s India website, where one could also view the detailed specifications. Further, the brand hasn’t posted anything regarding the phones’ sale date on its social media handles, which again raises questions about the brand’s commitment to buyers in India.
As of now, there’s no update on when the devices will go on sale in the country. The brand also hasn’t shared detailed pricing for all the variants of the two devices, as we only know their starting prices.
With this misstep, Acer risks tarnishing its reputation in the smartphone segment before it even gets a foothold. We are of the opinion that a straightforward communication strategy and transparent roadmap may now be Acer’s only way to salvage consumer confidence.
Moto G56 5G details have been leaked and according to the leak, the device will come with certain that will be tied to the higher RAM model while the 4GB RAM model won’t be having these features at all. Here’s everything to know about the upcoming Moto G-series smartphone.
Moto G56 5G Details
As per a leak by Evan Blass, the Moto G56 5G sports a 6.72-inch LCD display with a 120Hz refresh rate, 1000 nits brightness, 391 ppi, and Gorilla Glass 7i protection. The device will be powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7060 paired with 4GB or 8GB RAM and 128GB or 256GB storage options. The device will run on Android 15 and interestingly, the 4GB RAM model will receive 1 OS upgrade and 3 years of security patches while the 8GB RAM model will get 2 OS upgrades and 4 years of security patches.
The storage will be expandable up to 2TB. The device will have dual rear cameras including a 50MP Sony LYT-600 primary camera with f/1.8 Aperture and an 8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide angle sensor. On the front, this Motorola device has a 32MP selfie camera with an f/2.2 aperture.
A 5200mAh battery with 30W Fast charging support backs the phone. The phone has connectivity features like 5G SA/ NSA, Dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.3, GPS/GLONASS/QZSS/Galileo, NFC, a 3.5mm Headphone jack and a USB Type-C port for charging.
It gets stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos and a side-mounted fingerprint scanner as well. The device is IP69 and IP68 rated, along with Military-grade durability backed by MIL-STD 810H certification. The 8GB RAM model supports Smart Connect also but the 4GB RAM model doesn’t.
The device will come in Pantone Black Oyster, Pantone Gray Mist, Pantone Dazzling Blue, and Pantone Dill.
Limiting features to the higher RAM model may not be the smartest move by Motorola but it could help the brand boost the sales of the 8GB RAM model if the price difference isn’t too much. We’ll know more about this leak’s accuracy once the device launches which is expected to happen soon.
Haier C90 and Haier C95 Series OLED TVs have been launched in India with a bezel-less design, a premium metal swivel stand, HDR 10+ & Dolby Vision IQ support. The company claims that the TVs support “enhanced contrast, vibrant colors, and stunning clarity & immersive sound by Harmon Kardon.” The C95 series supports up to 144Hz Refresh Rate while the C90 supports up to 120Hz refresh rate.
Haier C90, Haier C95 Series OLED TVs: Price, Availability
The Haier C90 OLED series starts at Rs 1,29,990, while the Haier C95 OLED series starts at Rs 1,56,990. One can purchase the new OLED smart TVs from the Haier India website, major retail outlets, and other major online platforms across the nation.
Haier C90, Haier C95 Series OLED TVs: Features
The Haier C90 OLED TV comes in screen sizes of 55”, 65” and 77” while the Haier C95 OLED TV is available in 55’’, and 65” models only. Haier’s OLED TVs, integrated with Google TV, offer seamless navigation and intuitive controls. With hands-free voice control, you can manage entertainment using voice commands. The TVs pack 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage and WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 for fast, stable wireless connectivity.
HAICAST and Chromecast built-in allow you to cast movies, games, or music directly from your mobile device without requiring an internet connection. The Bluetooth Sound Cast feature lets you sync your TV with your mobile’s audio. Additionally, the solar-powered remote promotes sustainability with easy charging and a USBType-C port for added convenience.
Powered by OLED technology, the new Haier OLED TVs also support Dolby Vision IQ and HDR 10+ which optimize brightness and contrast. MEMC technology enhances motion clarity, making fast-paced action seamless and fluid, while the wide viewing angles enhances the experience from every perspective.
The Haier C95 OLED series TVs also feature Harman Kardon sound. The Haier OLED TVs feature a 2.1 channel system with Dolby Atmos, creating a three-dimensional soundscape that fills your space with depth and clarity. The new OLED TV series boast a 50-watt sound system, while the 77” C90 OLED takes it up a notch with a 65-watt setup. Enhanced with dbx-tv technology, these TVs are claimed to deliver “richer, clearer audio, perfectly synchronized with the visuals for a truly cinematic experience.”
Designed for gamers, the Haier OLED C95 offers a 144Hz refresh rate, coupled with Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM). The Haier C90 OLED TV features a 120 Hz refresh rate, ensuring smooth visuals across various gaming genres. Whether you’re diving into high-speed action or immersive open-world adventures, AMD FreeSync Premium minimizes screen tearing and stuttering.
Lava Yuva Star 2 has been launched in India as the successor to the Yuva Star which debuted back in August of last year. The Yuva Star 2 comes with a 5000mAh battery under the hood and runs on the Android 14 Go Edition operating system. Design-wise, the handset resembles the iPhone 16. Here are all the details of the device.
Lava Yuva Star 2: Price, Availability
Lava Yuva Star 2 will be available in two colours: Radiant Black and Sparkling Ivory, and is priced at Rs 6,499 for 4GB + 64GB variant. The sale of the device has already begun retail outlets in India.
Lava Yuva Star 2: Specifications
The Yuva Star sports a 6.75-inch LCD panel that offers an HD+ resolution, 60Hz refresh rate and a waterdrop notch housing the front camera. Under the hood, the device features an unspecified octa-core Unisoc chipset and 4GB of RAM with up to 4GB of virtual RAM. There’s 64GB of built-in storage and the phone runs on Android 14 Go OS.
For optics, you get a 13-megapixel main camera, along with an AI sensor. You also get a 5MP selfie shooter. It is backed by a 5,000mAh battery that supports 10W charging via the USB-C port.
Connectivity options include dual SIM support, 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.1, and GPS. There’s also a side-facing fingerprint scanner, and a single bottom firing speaker. The device is also water and dust resistant according to the brand.
Update 08/05/2025: iQOO has confirmed that the Neo 10 will launch in India on May 26with the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 Chipset under the hood. It is also confirmed to be made available in Titanium Chrome and Inferno Red colours.
Original Story Below
iQOO Neo 10 India launch has been confirmed by the brand along with its design as well. While the design itself is quite similar to iQOO Neo 10R, the specifications are expected to be much superior, including the newly announced Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 under the hood. Here’s what you can expect from the device.
iQOO Neo 10 India launch
The company stated in a press release that the iQOO Neo 10 is coming soon, which means the device should likely launch later this month. The brand hasn’t announced a launch date as of now. It also showcased the device is a red shade with a squircle camera module along with the Neo branding beneath it. The device appears to have a dual rear camera setup while the volume rocker and power button lie on the right side of the handset.
iQOO Neo 10: Expected Specifications
The iQOO Neo 10 is expected to be a rebranded iQOO Z10 Turbo Pro which launched in China last week. The device will also be different from the Chinese model of the iQOO Neo 10 which runs on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.
The iQOO Z10 Turbo Pro sports a 6.78-inch (2800 x 1260 pixels) 1.5K AMOLED 20:9 display with a 144Hz refresh rate, 4500 nits peak brightness, HDR, and P3 colour gamut support. The device packs the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 SoC and runs on Android 15-based Origin OS 5. The smartphone also houses up to 16GB LPPDR5x RAM and 512GB UFS 4.0 storage
For optics, the handset features a dual rear camera setup with a 50-megapixel f/1.8 Sony LYT-600 sensor with OIS and an 8-megapixel f/2.2 ultra-wide angle lens. For selfies, the handset houses a 16-megapixel f/2.5 selfie camera.
Connectivity options include 5G dual SIM, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth v6.0, Dual-Band GNSS, IR blaster and NFC. It has dual stereo speakers and is IP65 rated as well. The handset also features an in-screen optical fingerprint sensor. For battery, the smartphone packs a 7000mAh silicon-carbon battery along with support for 120W fast wired charging.
iQOO Neo 10: Price Expectations
We expect iQOO to price the device above Rs 30,000 considering the Neo 10R is already selling for Rs 26,999. However, this is purely a speculation while the official figure is yet to be confirmed by the brand.
Motorola Razr 60 Ultra India launch has been confirmed by the brand through an Amazon microsite after launching the device globally last month. The device is Motorola’s most powerful foldable smartphone till date and comes with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Chipset under the hood.
Motorola Razr 60 Ultra India Launch
The Razr 60 Ultra India launch was confirmed through an Amazon microsite which also notes the chipset in use (something we already knew) along with device’s colour options to expect. Internationally, the handset launched in Rio Red, Scarab, Mountain Trail and Cabaret shades.
The device is slated to be “coming soon” while an exact launch date should be confirmed in the coming weeks. We expect the device to launch in May itself. Further, there’s no word on whether the vanilla Razr 60 will also launch at the same time as the Ultra model.
Motorola Razr 60 Ultra: Specifications
The Motorola Razr 60 Ultra sports a 4.0-inch external cover display which is a pOLED LTPO screen with up to 165Hz refresh rate, HDR10+ support, 3000 nits peak brightness, 1272 x 1080 pixels Resolution with 417 ppi, and Gorilla Glass Ceramic protection. Then there is a 7.0-inch pOLED folding display with a 165Hz refresh rate, HDR10+, 4500 nits peak brightness, 120% DCI-P3 colour gamut, Dolby Vision support, and 1224 x 2992 pixels resolution.
It is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Processor with 16GB of LPDDR5x RAM and up to 1TB of UFS 4.0 storage. It packs a 4700mAh battery with 68W TurboPower Fast charging, 30W wireless charging support and 5W reverse charging. There’s a side-mounted fingerprint sensor for biometrics.
For optics, you get a 50MP f/1.8 primary camera with OIS, and a 50MP f/2.0 ultra-wide angle sensor. There’s a 50MP f/2.0 front camera for selfies and video calls. Connectivity options include 5G, dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth v5.4, GPS, USB Type-C port, and NFC. It is further equipped with stereo speakers and Dolby Atmos.
The Razr 60 Ultra runs on Android 15 with Hello UI on top and packs Google Gemini integration with other moto AI features. Finally, the device is also IP48-rated.
An upcoming Nord device from OnePlus has been leaked in detail, suggesting not only its specifications but also its launch timeline in India. The upcoming OnePlus Nord CE 5 has been a part of the rumour mill for a while now, and here’s a roundup of everything to expect from the affordable smartphone from OnePlus.
OnePlus Nord CE 5: Design
Earlier last month, the Nord CE 5 renders were leaked in a report, giving us our first look at the device with its dual rear camera setup placed vertically inside a pill-shaped module. It looks highly inspired by the iPhone 16 design, which is given considering OnePlus’ recent obsession with Apple’s features, including its new Shortcut Key, which replaced the Alert Slider.
However, this key seems to be missing on the Nord device, which is also expected as it’s a low-end device from the brand. Aside from that, the power and volume buttons reside on the right spine of the handset. The front of the device hasn’t been leaked, so one could only speculate whether it will have even bezels on all sides.
According to reports, the Nord CE 5 will pack a 6.7-inch full-HD+ flat OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It will be powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 8350 Processor and backed by a 7,100mAh battery with 80W fast charging.
It will sport a dual camera setup at the back, featuring a 50MP LYT600/IMX882 main sensor, an 8MP IMX355 ultra-wide, and a 16MP selfie camera. Plus, it’ll at least pack 8GB RAM, 256GB storage, a hybrid slot, and a single speaker.
OnePlus Nord CE 5: Expected India Price, Launch Timeline
According to leaks, the Nord CE 5 will be priced at around Rs 25,000 in India, which will make it compete with the Nothing Phone (3a) series, iQOO Z10 5G, Galaxy M56 5G, Motorola EDGE 60 Fusion, and more. The device has also already received the BIS certification, which means its India launch is imminent, likely in June.
CMF Phone 2 Pro has landed in the Indian market and is already looking like a solid offering for its starting price of Rs 18,999. Even though it’s a solid offering, there are some CMF Phone 2 Pro competitors that are still worth checking out if you are in the market for a smartphone that costs around Rs 20,000.
CMF Phone 2 Pro: Details
The device costs Rs 18,999 for the 8GB + 128GB trim and Rs 20,999 for the 8GB + 256GB version.
The CMF Phone 2 Pro sports a 6.77-inch full-HD+ (1,080×2,392 pixels) AMOLED Displaywith up to 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, 2160Hz PWM frequency, 387ppi Pixel density, 480Hz touch sampling rate, 10-bit colours, and 3,000nits peak brightness. The display has HDR10+ support and Panda Glass protection.
The CMF Phone 2 Pro has an octa-core MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro chipset under the hood, coupled with 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of storage which is expandable up to 2TB. It runs on Android 15 with Nothing OS 3.2 and will receive 3 major OS updates and 6 years of security patches.
For optics, CMF Phone 2 Pro has a triple rear camera unit comprising a 50-megapixel 1/1.57-inch sensor with f/1.88 Aperture and EIS, joined by a 50-megapixel telephoto sensor with f/1.85 aperture, 2x optical zoom, 20x digital zoom, and an 8-megapixel ultra-wide angle sensor with f/2.2 aperture and a 119.5-degree field of view. On the front, it features a 16-megapixel selfie camera with an f/2.45 aperture.
The CMF Phone 2 Pro is backed by a 5,000mAh battery that supports 33W Fast charging and 5W reverse wired charging as well. Connectivity options on the smartphone include 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, and a USB Type-C port. There’s a single bottom-mounted speaker for audio.
It has an optical in-display fingerprint sensor for authentication. The handset has an IP54 rating for dust and splash resistance. The CMF Phone 2 Pro also has the Essential Key that lets users access Essential Space which is a one-stop shop to access data such as screenshots, photos, and voice notes.
Starting at Rs 17,999 for the 8GB + 128GB model and costing Rs 19,999 for the 8GB + 256GB version, the Oppo K13 5G serves as one of the tougher CMF Phone 2 Pro competitors.
The OPPO K13 5G comes with a 6.67-inch (2400 x 1080 pixels) Full HD+ E4 AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate, 1200 nits peak brightness, and a 240Hz touch sampling rate. The device is powered by the Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 Processor paired with 8GB LPDDR4x RAM and up to 256GB of UFS 3.1 internal storage.
While both devices have AMOLED panels, CMF Phone 2 Pro’s display is better due to a higher touch sampling rate and a higher brightness value. As for the chipset, Oppo’s chip is slightly better than the Dimensity chip used in the CMF Phone 2 Pro in terms of numbers. However, in real world use, both should perform decently in daily use.
The handset runs on Android 15 OS, based on ColorOS 15 out of the box. Both of them run on Android 15 but CMF’s device is set to get 3 major OS updates compared to Oppo’s promised 2 major OS updates for the K13 5G.
As for the cameras, the handset has dual cameras on the back, with a 50MP OV50D40 f/1.8 primary sensor and a 2MP f/2.4 depth sensor. There is a 16MP f/2.4 Sony IMX480 sensor on the front for selfies. Again, the CMF Phone 2 Pro’s display comes with a better set of cameras considering it has a telephoto sensor and an ultra-wide angle sensor which are more useful compared to Oppo’s secondary depth sensor.
The phones have an in-display fingerprint sensor for security. Oppo K13 5G further packs a 7000mAh battery with 80W fast wired charging support. This is where it obliterates the CMF Phone 2 Pro with a much larger battery and faster charging as well. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 6, 5G, Bluetooth v5.2, GPS, and a USB-C port as well. The device has stereo speakers, an IR blaster, and is IP65 rated also. The Oppo device also gets a better IP rating which makes it more durable than CMF’s device and stereo speakers also, compared to the mono speaker on CMF Phone 2 Pro.
To sum up, if you need slightly superior performance, a bigger battery, faster charging, ColorOS experience, stereo speakers, a more durable device, and are on a tight budget, then the Oppo K13 5G is the one to pick over CMF Phone 2 Pro.
Poco X7 5G
Currently selling for Rs 16,999 for the 8GB + 128GB model and Rs 18,999 for the 8GB + 256GB variant, the Poco X7 5G doesn’t hold back on any major fronts and proves itself as one of the other capable CMF Phone 2 Pro competitors.
The device sports a 6.67-inch 1.5K ResolutionAMOLED Display with a Refresh Rate of 120Hz, Dolby Vision, 12-bit colours, 3000 nits peak brightness, 446 ppi, 240Hz touch sampling rate, 1920Hz PWM dimming, and HDR10+ support. It is protected with Gorilla Glass Victus 2. This is a better panel that CMF’s because of the higher resolution and Dolby Vision support.
The device is equipped with MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Ultra SoC under the hood, paired with 8GB of LPDDR4x RAM. It comes with up to 256GB of UFS 2.2 storage. This is the same chipset CMF is using but Poco is offering it at a cheaper price point.
The Poco device features a triple camera setup with a 50MP f/1.5 Sony LYT-600 primary camera with OIS, an 8MP f/2.2 IMX355 ultra-wide angle sensor, and a 2MP f/2.4 macro camera. The smartphone also has a 20MP selfie camera. Again, we won’t comment on the camera performance as we haven’t tested them side-by-side but CMF seems like a better offering again in this department due to the telephoto sensor. The Poco X7 packs a 5500mAh battery and comes with 45W Fast charging support. The battery is also bigger than CMF Phone 2 Pro while the charging speeds are also slightly higher.
Additional features include X-Axis Linear Haptics Motor, IR Blaster, and dual stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 6, 5G, Bluetooth 5.4, GPS, NFC and a USB-C port for charging. The device runs on Hyper OS based on Android 14 and will get 3 years of OS updates with 4 years of security patches. There’s an in-display optical fingerprint sensor for security and the handset is IP68 rated as well.
Compared to CMF Phone 2 Pro, the Poco X7 5G has stereo speakers, NFC support, a better IP rating, a bigger battery, the same chipset, and a better display. However, it lacks in the camera and software departments compared to CMF’s phone because it runs on Android 14 and will receive updates till Android 17 while the CMF Phone 2 Pro will receive updates till Android 18.
Realme Narzo 80 Pro 5G
Selling for Rs 19,999 for the 8GB + 128GB model, Rs 21,499 for the 8GB + 256GB model, and Rs 23,499 for the 12GB + 256GB version, the Realme Narzo 80 Pro 5G is also one of the CMF Phone 2 Pro competitors that’s hard to beat in certain areas.
The Narzo 80 Pro 5G sports a 6.77-inch (2392 x 1080 pixels) full-HD+ OLED screen with 120Hz refresh rate, up to 4500 nits peak brightness, 240Hz touch sampling rate, and 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut. Realme’s Narzo device equips a better display than CMF’s phone in terms of brightness. The Realme device is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7400 chipset, paired with up to 12GB LPDDR4x RAM and up to 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage. Realme’s handset is using a better chipset from MediaTek compared to the Dimensity 7300 Pro in CMF Phone 2 Pro and also offers a higher RAM version if that’s what you want.
For optics, there’s a dual rear cameras setup, including a 50MP Sony IMX882 primary sensor with an f/1.8 aperture, LED flash, and OIS, paired with an additional 2MP f/2.4 Monochrome sensor. Same as the other competitors, CMF’s phone beats Realme’s device as well in the camera segment. At the front, there’s a 16MP f/2.45 sensor for selfies and video calls. The handset is backed up by a 6000mAh battery with 80W fast wired charging. Once again, CMF Phone 2 Pro falls short in the battery segment with slower charging speeds and a smaller battery.
Connectivity options on the device include 5G, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth v5.4, GPS, and a USB-C port. The device has stereo speakers and an in-display fingerprint sensor for biometrics. The handset is also IP66, IP68, and IP69 rated and runs on Android 15-based Realme UI 6.0. While CMF is offering more number of OS updates than Realme, the Narzo 80 Pro 5G does have a couple of features which the CMF phone lacks, such as stereo speakers and a better set of IP ratings.
Realme C75 5G has been announced in India as a new budget offering from Realme that packs a MediaTek Chipset under the hood and a sizable 6000mAh battery as well. The device gets a single camera on the back along with up to 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Here’s everything you’d want to know about the device.
Realme C75 5G: Price, Availability
The device’s pricing is as follows:
4GB RAM+128GB storage: Rs 12,999
6GB RAM+128GB storage: Rs 13,999
It comes in Lily White, Midnight Lily, and Blossom Purple shades and is being sold via realme.in, Flipkart and other major offline channels.
Realme C75 5G: Specs
The Realme C75 5G sports a 6.67-inch (1604 x 720 pixels) HD+ IPS LCD screen with 120z refresh rate, 180Hz touch sampling rate, 83% NTSC colour range, and up to 625 nits peak brightness. The MediaTek Dimensity 6300 processor powers the handset, paired with up to 6GB of RAM and up to 128GB of storage. The handset further supports expandable memory up to 1TB with microSD
For optics, the phone has a 32MP primary sensor on the back and an LED flash. At the front, there’s an 8MP sensor for selfies and video calls. There’s a side-mounted fingerprint sensor for biometrics. The device runs on Android 15-based Realme UI 6.0 operating system.
Connectivity-wise, you get options including 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth v5.3, GPS, and a USB-C port for charging. There’s a single bottom-firing speaker, while the device is also IP64-rated for dust and water resistance. The Realme C75 is backed by a huge 6000mAh battery with 45W fast wired charging support.
Whenever you speak of audio, JBL is a brand that’s always a part of the conversation and even in the TWS space, the brand’s trying to compete in the budget space. The JBL Tune Beam 2, priced at Rs 5,499, is one such pair of TWS earbuds from JBL that’s trying to go against CMF’s, OnePlus’, and Realme’s audio products. Whether it’s worth taking a look at or is a skippable product, we’ll find that out by the end of this review.
Design & Comfort
The JBL Tune Beam 2 comes in a uniquely shaped case which is already a standout from the crowd. It’s all plastic but has a matte finish and is made well so it doesn’t feel flimsy at all. Alongside the JBL branding on the front, there are three LED lights which indicate the charge level of the case. At the back, there’s the Tune Beam 2 branding as well.
On the inside, there’s a glossy Piano black finish with two small holes to place the buds in. While the buds sit well in there, it will take some time getting used to their placement position as it wasn’t quite easy for me to do so in the first few days where I would always miss the hole in the case where the stem of buds is supposed to go.
The buds have a standard look that’s quite identical to some other options in the market but they have been designed thoughtfully with comfort and stability in mind. The glossy JBL branding on the stem of the earbuds is another highlight.
The earbuds themselves are quite comfortable to wear and they don’t move a centimetre even when you are working out while wearing them. There’s also an LED on the buds that turns blue and white to show you the pairing status and connected status.
They are also IP54 rated so splashes of water and sweat aren’t an issue for them. Then, the buds also have touch controls which are again very responsive to the touch. However, customisability is an issue with touch controls as you only get a pre-defined set of controls which you can set.
For instance, you can set either of the buds to control ANC modes, playback modes, or volume with single tap, double tap, and tap & hold only. If you want to customise the single tap for play/pause and use the double tap for volume and ANC modes, you can’t do that, which I feel is a major letdown.
The JBL Tune Beam 2 uses 10mm dynamic drivers along with support for JBL Spatial Audio and Bluetooth v5.3. Speaking of audio quality, the JBL Tune Beam 2 definitely impresses in terms of the sound signature. You get a balanced output with clear equals and a decent amount of bass which bassheads will like. The mids, highs, and lows are clearly defined and none of the frequencies overshadow another. While I feel they could’ve been slightly louder, they definitely don’t disappoint while listening to music.
Then you can further refine the audio experience with the in-built 10-band equaliser which is one of the best I have seen at this price point. It significantly improved the audio quality making it clearer and crispier if you know how to tune the audio to your preferences. In my case, it was a V-shaped equaliser which clearly improved the audio quality for my liking.
There are 6 other presets you can try out if you don’t want to customise the equaliser yourself. What I missed here is support for a hi-res codec but even without that, the sound quality is something to appreciate here. Wear detection is also missing which means the music doesn’t pause or play automatically once you take the buds out of your ear or put them back in.
Gaming experience with these buds was also quite decent and there wasn’t a noticeable lag in the audio-video sync at all.
Coming to the JBL Headphones app, before I detail the features, there’s one major bug I’d like to highlight. After connecting the buds to the phone the second time after setting up, the app just won’t open the Buds’ settings. While it would show I am connected, the option to tap on the buds would remain greyed out (as shown in the screenshot above) and I had to forget and pair my buds multiple times if I had to tweak any settings which is a big hassle. This surely wasn’t the phone’s issue as the issue persisted with OnePlus phones, iPhone 16, Nothing devices, apart from my primary device, the Pixel 9a, on which I carried out most of my testing of the JBL Tune Beam 2.
Coming back to the features on offer, there are a plethora of them. Firstly, there’s ambient sound control where you can choose from ANC, Ambient Aware, and TalkThru. Active Noise Cancellation worked quite well in terms of cancelling out even louder external noises. While high pitched sounds could be a little harder to cancel out for the buds, other sounds such as of the traffic, horns, people chattering, etc., were blocked out effectively.
Ambient Aware mode sounds good enough if you want to better hear your surroundings. It may not be the best, but most other earbuds I have tested at this price point sound similar or worse. You can also set the intensity of the ANC and Ambient Aware modes. Then the TalkThru mode has been cleverly implemented which essentially heightens the pitch of voices of people around you and your own so you don’t need to take out the buds when talking to someone.
Aside from that, with the app, you can also change the Spatial Sound settings which essentially adds an echo to the audio that makes it sound like it’s coming from different directions. It works as it should but there’s nothing extraordinary to talk about.
The JBL Tune Beam 2 also has the Personi-Fi 3.0 feature that shapes the audio curve according to your preference. It didn’t make much of a difference in sound quality for me personally but may work well for you if your preferred sound curve is highly different than mine.
Features like Max Volume Limiter, Sound Level Optimiser for calls are self explanatory and work as they should. There’s also a Voice Setting for calls which changes how you sound to the other person on call, including natural, bright, and powerful options. They do make a slight difference in calls but nothing out of the ordinary.
The Sound Setting feature does the same for the voice of the person on the other end which makes more of a difference than the Voice Settings. It has options ranging from increased treble, natural, to increased bass, where I ended up using the Increased Treble option for the clearest voice of the other person.
The call quality of the JBL Tune Beam 2 is decent and it picks up your own voice well. It does pick up some amount of ambient noise as well during the calls but apart from that, the 6 mics handle the job well for the most part.
You can also set the intensity of how much of your own voice you hear during calls with the VoiceAware setting.
There’s a Relaxed Mode available as well where you can play a certain set of sounds to help you sleep or relax, such as sounds of nature, water flowing, a campfire, and more. You can also set a timer as for how long these sounds play if you are planning to sleep with your earbuds on while listening to these.
Find my Buds and a couple of Power Saving features like auto standby and auto power off are also available. Other features of JBL Tune Beam 2 include Google Fast Pair and multi-point connection which work optimally.
Finally, in terms of battery life, JBL claims 10 hours of playtime, plus another three full charges (30 hours) in the charging case with ANC on, or up to 12 hours plus 36 hours with ANC off. We could easily achieve these numbers through a number of different sessions each day. The battery life is truly impressive to a level where I could get more than a week of use with about 1 to 2 hours of listening sessions each day and still have about 40% left in the case at the end of the week.
