Mobvoi’s new TicPods 2 earbuds want to take on Apple’s AirPods – here’s how they measure up

Wireless earbuds are still reigning supreme as the ultimate headphone of choice and Mobvoi has a new pair to enter the mix.

The Chinese tech company announced its new TicPods 2 and TicPods 2 Pro earbuds at CES in Las Vegas this week complete with improved sound quality and new AI features, including the ability to nod your head twice to pick up a call on your phone hands-free.

But how do you the new TicPods measure up to Apple’s AirPods? Here’s how the wireless earbuds compare.

Starting with the TicPods 2, Mobvoi has revamped the design for the 2020 earbuds with a new open-fit earbud look which promises to deliver sound directly to your ear canal without the need for a silicone tip to seal it off. Apple’s AirPods also don’t need a silicone tip, so if you’re one of those people that easily loses the tips of your earbuds, that’s one factor to consider.

When it comes to battery life, the TicPods 2 promises four hours of continuous playtime, whilst you can pop them back in the case to give them a boost as the case itself can hold up to 23 hours of battery life.

Apple just cinches this one, with up to five hours listening time on the AirPods and the case holds more than 24 hours-worth of charge.

Both earbuds feature touch controls – double-tap on the AirPods to play, skip forward or answer a phone call, whilst the TicPods 2 include their own “Tickle” touch controls. A touch on the earbuds stem will change volume, take or end calls, and skip songs. If you want to use the power of an AI assistant then the AirPods feature Siri, whilst the TicPods boost in-ear Google Assistant which can be activated by your voice or long-pressing the earbud.

So far, so similar but it’s in the actual tech that Apple wins this time. The AirPods include dual beamforming mics, compared to one mic on the TicPods, as well as a motion-detecting accelerometer and speech-detecting accelerometer

Colour-wise, the TicPods are available in three colours, navy, ice and blossom, whilst the AirPods only come in Apple’s signature white. The TicPods 2 are cheaper too at £85.99, compared to AirPods’ £159.

The Pros is where the competition steps up between the earbuds. Both Pro version feature dual mics with noise cancellation so you can carry out decent phone calls outside and protect your ears from the tube.

The TicPods versions are slightly lighter than AirPods – the TicPods come in a 4.4g each, whilst the AirPods Pro weigh 5.4g. The case is also lighter too at 29.5g, compared to 45.6g.

The company has stepped up the touch controls on the TicPods Pros with new quick commands and head gesture control – nod your head twice to accept a call or shake it twice to reject it. The quick commands use voice control to carry out simple instructions, such as “play music” or “next song”. You may look a bit crazy talking to yourself but you can shake it off by pretending you’re on a call.

However, battery time is much better with the AirPods Pro: 24 hours of listening time vs 20 on the TicPods 2 Pro. Saying that, the TicPods 2 Pro come in at £119.99, compared to the AirPods Pro price of £249. At that price, it looks like Mobvoi has managed to create an affordable pair of noise-cancelling wireless earbuds.

The Mobvoi earbuds are available to pre-order now from Mobvoi.com