Review Verdict: The realme Buds Q2 certainly are priced right, and have plenty of features that should make budget shoppers happy in the Philippines. It does make its fair share of compromises, but that’s offset by the fact that it’s so affordable to buy.

Pros:

• Very affordable
• Incredibly light
• Has ENC
• Excellent battery life

Cons:

• Audio quality is so-so
• The case is a little scratch-prone

realme is offering a brand-new version of their budget TWS buds dubbed the realme Buds Q2 today. The new pair of TWS buds look great on paper, and its Php 1,290 price tag (and a limited time Php 400 discount) is more than enough to make you ignore its minor issues.

Design

realme specializes in making truly lightweight buds, and the realme Buds Q2 is no exception. With a total weight of 37.6 grams for both the charging case and earbuds and just 4.1g for each earbud, the brand’s newest offering is one of the lightest of its kind in the market.

As for the design, the realme Buds Q2 comes in a smooth, pebble-like case with a matte finish. The design looks pretty good, though it’s a bit scratch-prone, so you’d want to keep it in a carrying pouch or something similar if you want to keep the charging case pristine.

Because the realme Buds Q2 slots into the budget TWS category, the charging case uses the older microUSB charging port rather than the newer Type-C ports that we’re used to seeing on other TWS headphones.

There are no LED status indicators on the case itself, which is a little annoying since you won’t know at a glance if the case still has a charge or it needs a trip to the wall charger.

As for the actual buds, they’re pretty small and compact. The touch controls have this carbon-fiber aesthetic going on, while the rest of the body is colored black with a hint of yellow where the silicone tips go. The buds also has IPX4 certification making them splash resistant.

User interface and fit

Pairing is easy – when you first get the buds, you simply have to open it and look for the realme Buds Q2 and connect. After that, you’ll hear an audio prompt telling you that you’ve successfully connected to them.

If that doesn’t work, you can repeat the process, but this time once you open the case up you’ll want to touch the surface of the touch controls for both buds for more than 3 seconds, and then pair.

Speaking of touch controls, there are four main controls for the realme Buds Q2: double-tapping plays and pauses music, and if someone is calling you, answers or ends the call; a triple tap skips to the next song; a long press on either earbud rejects a call, and a long press on both earbuds enters or exits gaming mode.

The buds also get integration with realme’s Link app, where you can customize the controls as well as activate stuff like Bass Boost (which works just like how it sounds) and Game Mode, which reduces latency to around 88ms for better gaming experiences.

As far as fit goes, the realme Buds Q2 has an OK fit, and there are additional silicone tips in the package to ensure the correct fit no matter who buys them.

Audio quality and battery life

The realme Buds Q2 has large 10mm dynamic drivers which in theory should be able to deliver big sound. This is technically true – the drivers are loud, though the sound quality is just so-so. There’s definitely a lack of depth and detail in the sound, and sometimes the bass overpowers everything else to the detriment of what you’re listening to.

Don’t get me wrong, the realme Buds Q2 delivers good enough sound for people on a tight budget, but if you’re an audio snob you might want to take a look at other options for the price.

The realme Buds Q2 is advertised as having environmental noise cancellation (ENC) which cuts down on the noise of where you are so the person you’re calling can understand you clearly. It works well enough to cut out local ambient noise, but the downside is that you might have trouble hearing who you’re talking to since there’s no ANC.

As far as battery life goes, the realme Buds Q2 can last around five hours on a single charge, give or take. The charging case can hold around 20 hours worth of battery on a single charge which is plenty for something like this.

Wrap-up and conclusions

The realme Buds Q2 is an excellent option for anyone looking for a good pair of budget earbuds. It has excellent battery life and a very affordable price, though anyone looking for stellar audio quality might need to look for something else.

realme Buds Q2 Review Philippines Price

The realme Buds Q2 will be available first on Shopee starting May 21, 12MN for a suggested retail price of P1,290 with a limited time offer of P400 off. They will also be available at regular prices in select realme concept stores, kiosks, and partner dealers nationwide starting May 22.