Xiaomi’s sub-brand, Redmi, has earned a name for itself by balancing premium specs with a budget-friendly price. As Redmi and Xiaomi devices become more popular, what better way to show your support for the ecosystem than by purchasing the Redmi AirDots 3?
The Redmi AirDots 3 are the third edition of Xiaomi’s TWS earphones, which have a naming scheme that puts Intel to shame. The Mi True Wireless EBs Basic 2 or Redmi AirDots 2 in some places, as well as the original AirDots from 2019, stand on the shoulders of the AirDots 3. In India, these earbuds are known as the Redmi Earbuds 3 Pro.
Design
Xiaomi has redesigned the Xiaomi Redmi AirDots 2, also known as the Mi True Wireless EBs Basic 2, with only minor changes. The Redmi AirDots 3 also gets a new look, with blue, black, and pink replacing the standard black and white.
The Redmi AirDots 3 has a longer oval form, a glossy and matte surface, and touch controls, albeit basic ones, than the Mi True Wireless EBs Basic 2. It’s a welcome departure from the Mi True Wireless EBs Basic 2’s haptic physical button. To prevent earwax from clogging the speakers, the silicone ear tips were also redesigned from the standard to a closed-off form.
The infrared proximity sensors that auto-pause/play when the earbuds are removed/placed in the ears are likely the most notable physical feature. The workmanship is flawless, and the AirDots 3 react quickly. They won’t be able to tell if you have ears or not. They’ll keep playing when they come into contact with your skin, from your toes to your scalp.
The AirDots 3 have a larger charging case that measures 65 x 42 x 32 mm. When compared to the charging case of the Mi True Wireless EBs Basic 2, the extra space allows for substantially larger earphones (4.6g each) and double the battery (600mAh). If you want to connect to another device, a new button located inside the charging case disconnects your earbuds. In a side note, the Redmi’s charging cover uses USB-C instead of Micro-USB.
Ear fitting
The small, medium, and large silicone ear tips do little to address the issue of varying human outer ear shapes and sizes. The size of the inner ring of the ear, known as the antihelix, appears to be more essential, based on my own unreviewed observation. Xiaomi may have believed that the Mi True Wireless EBs Basic 2 earbuds were not long enough to secure a grip on the antihelix.
As a result, the Redmi AirDots 3 are longer and more comfortable to wear. You can twist your outer ears in place counterclockwise until they’re the perfect fit, depending on their size. Unless your ears are significantly smaller than the average, in which case you should implant them in a way that is comfortable in the short and long term.
Connectivity & Controls
Xiaomi has upped the ante by combining Bluetooth 5.2 with Qualcomm’s aptX Adaptive audio for an almost flawless connection. The capacity of AptX Adaptive to compress audio into a smaller size when it encounters busy wireless signals while maintaining low latency is its fundamental feature. By the same rule, audio quality improves in a less busy place.
Simply opening the case is all it takes to connect the earbud to the previous connected device, demonstrating the AirDot 3’s beefed-up specs. The entire procedure takes only a few seconds. The charging case’s off button, on the other hand, counts. When you want to connect to another device, simply press it. For some reason, the Redmi AirDots 3 and Redmi AirDots 3 Pro get along better with the Redmi Note 10/Pro than the Redmi AirDots 2 and AirDots 3 Pro. The animation that welcomes you is a sight to behold.
Sound output
The Redmi AirDots 3 are rather inexpensive at $30. As a result, the sound quality suffers as a result. As a result, putting the AirDots 3 in the same league as the $250 AirPods Pro et al. would be deceptive.
From my experience, I’d say the highs are decent, the mids are adequate, and the bass is punchy, albeit not as loud as I would like. I noticed that in regions where there are a lot of devices linked to wireless networks, the quality degrades a little. There isn’t much to complain about in less busy locations.
Battery
The Redmi AirDots 3 is the series’ battery champion. The charging case has twice the capacity of the Mi True Wireless EBs Basic 2 at 600mAh. Even the Redmi AirDots Pro earbuds, which can only store 35mAh compared to the 43mAh stored by the AirDots 3 earbuds, come nowhere near at 470mAh.
The average amount of time spent playing is 5 hours. The earbuds require 1.5 hours to charge, while the charging case takes 3 hours to charge. According to my estimates, that’s about 35 hours of music playback before the case needs to be charged. In fact, in the week or so that I’ve been studying the Redmi AirDots 3, I haven’t even scratched the surface of their battery capacity.
Redmi AirDots 3 Price and where to buy
The Redmi AirDots 3 costs between $32 and $35 on AliExpress and $59.99 on Amazon, depending on where you buy it. In India, these earbuds are known as Redmi Earbuds 3 Pro and cost Rs. 2,999.