In an era of knockoffs, people don’t just wait to look out for the next big selling product to be duplicated. Many eyes are on the companies producing such products to know if any improvements are made to the existing products. They also would like to see how close the original and the knockoff look-alike with the price-tags having huge differences.
One product that has gone through a lot of companies trying to replicate them is the AirPods by Apple. One of the best knockoffs in the market come from the company TWS. They’ve not just succeeded in pulling off lovely look-alikes, but they even try to make the product even more perfect with improvements hitting the market once made.
The latest of their products based on the AirPods are the i9X and the i10. They have some changes in design, quality and a slight bump in price as well. Here is a comparison between the two.
Design
Both the i9X and the i10 pack pretty much the same design. They sport a packaging and case that’s similar to the AirPods. Just like every other wireless earphone that come sans wire, both the i9 and the i10 have a case used for charging. The ports on these cases do differ with the i9 having the old age Micro USB Port, while the i10 has an upgraded USB Type C port.
The design makes both pairs lightweight and in a perfect shape to fit in the ear. Discomforts are shrugged off and they fit into the ear without any worries of falling out. Sticking to the classic Airpods design is one of the main reasons these two have attracted the eyes of many.
One basic difference that the i9X and the i10 have in terms of design is the variable waterproofing resistance present in them. The i10 is IPX6 rated which protects it from incoming high-pressure water streams in all directions, whereas, the i9X offers only a basic IP54 protection which just shields incoming dust particles.
Overall there is no major design change but the IPX6 rating of the i10 TWS makes it a better choice.
Connectivity and Usage
Both the i9 and the i10 have some variations in this sector. Both of these are powered with Bluetooth 4.1 which makes connections with almost all Bluetooth devices pretty hassle-free. While connections can be made easily, the mannerism in which both these devices do it vary in a manner which isn’t that subtle.
The i9X gets connected to the device after pressing both the pairing buttons on both the earphones for about 10 seconds. Pressing both the buttons can be quite a tedious task irritating users. The i10 gets connected much easier than its predecessor. Holding the right earphone out for 10 seconds gets it connected to the required device after which pairing is automated. Even though the i10 removes the hassle of pressing the connectors on both the earphones, the left one is pretty useless without its counterpart when it comes to the i10.
Another similarity between both the pairs is the presence of only a single microphone for calls in either case. That is quite normal as wireless earphones on the cheaper side of the pay scale adopt single call speakers instead of a mono speaker option. Both sets have smooth control options integrated into a touch-based sensor on either earphone. The i10 has it perfected out, while the i9 tends to cause discomfort by accidentally toggling calls when double tapped at a certain spot.
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Sound
Presenting good audio quality which is lovely, but not the best is what TWS does. The audio doesn’t produce any lag in either pair, but a disparity in the syncing between audio and video is found. While it is a bit more evident in the i9X, the i10 has it reduced to barely a fraction of a second.
The i9X TWS has some other minor issues as well. Continuous audio playback becomes a bit of a disturbance, due to the tiny tinning present in the earphones. Even though the audio quality is good, it doesn’t match expectations like the i10 does. All this said, both these knockoffs never match up to the benchmark set by the original AirPods.
Battery
The battery life is okayish for audiophiles if there’s a gap between long usage. As expected, the i10 has longer battery life than the i9X. Even the charging case offers more charge cycles in case of the i10. One other advantage the i10 charging case has is the ability to be charged wirelessly.
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Verdict
While both of these knockoffs are quite good and do give a bang for the buck, there is a difference between them that is quite evident. The i9X TWS Airpods acts as a lovely choice for those who are looking for wireless earphones at a budget. The i10 TWS Airpods, on the other hand, provides much more quality at a small bump in the price.
