Packaging (⅘)
These small Buds package is very manageable. it contains the charging box, a Bud for the left, one for the right ear and a USB A to micro USB charging cable.
Build Quality (⅘)
Both, the case and the Buds are build in a good quality, the only noticeable differences is at the top of the buds where they could have fit more exactly. This is only noticeable while sliding over the top side with the fingertip, I haven’t noticed it while using them.
App (⅗)
The realme Link app could be used for a lot off realme devices from Ear Buds to Lights, Vacuum Cleaners and a smart scale. It also Contains health information and Templates for all kinds of Smart Home devices. It looks a lot like the Xiaomi app.
For I only use the Buds I think the app is a little bit to much and a sleeker one would be a way better. There is also a virtual experience section which is useless. the only think you could do is take a look how the settings for the devices would be like if you had one connected and for some options you could move a slider which won’t effect anything, other options also will effect nothing, but there is no slider to be activated.
Luckily you could delete this virtual experience from the home screen. The buds section itself is very clear, you could activate extra features and could set the gestures. For every Bud you could set what should happen when you Double-Tap, Tripple-Tap or hold the virtual button. It is kind of sad you only have to choose between 5 possible actions.
Play/Pause
Next Track
Previous Track
Voice Assistant
None
To choose the Game Mode which will reduce the latency to a 119.2ms, the Bass Boost+ or the volume enhancer would be a nice addition to choose by tapping on the buds. At least the Game Mode could be activated or deactivated by pressing both buds for 2 seconds at the same time. For me this is getting a bit ridiculous then, because if you activate the game mode through this gesture you will hear a car rev up its engine, if you deactivate it you will get a little melody. this behavior is a strange one, for all other headsets i have tried they have used to play a short sound or a voice telling you “Game Mode” or “Bluetooth Mode”
Case (⅗)
It is a small case which should fit into any pocket. it is smaller than the ear (1) Charging case, even though it is a little bit thicker (1.6mm) it shouldn’t bother in the pocket because of its more pebble like form factor.
Even the Buds are easy to pull out and will slide back into the case easily because a magnet will get them back into its charging position. It is only necessary to take a little bit care of the position, if they go in the wrong way, you’ll have to pull them out first because you can’t rotate them while they’re in the case.
What really disappointing me with the case is the micro USB Charging Slot, it works as intended, but it is a micro USB. it would improve the overall experience a lot if they would have used a USB Typ C Port.
They have been release in May 2020 and USB Type C has been very common in these days, even for TWS Headsets.
Wireless Charging is also not included. But you get a Button which is called “Multi-function Button” but despite the promising name it only could be used for pairing and resetting.
Earpieces (⅗)
Being an affordable Headset mostly leads to a not so Hi-Class Experience.The sound is okay. It is neither bad nor very good. These Buds could become very loud, and for this you could hear a noisy sound, even though the Bass Boost+ and Sound enhancer are disabled. Both option will make a much noisier sound when it is at a high volume. For use with the Lower Volumes these options are quite okay to been used and result in improvement in sonority. At least the sound is flat and i am missing a bit the trebles, the Bass seems to only be loud, but not getting a deep sound. The Battery should last for about 3 hours while listening to Music, depending on Volume and additional options. When the Buds are empty they could be charged 4-5 times with the case.
Using this lightweight buds is very easy, the fit is good and while doing no crazy stuff they did not fall out of the ear. Exercising will let this happen from time to time, because they are not as deep in the ear. The gestures work fine and even a misinterpretation has not been noticed by me, only when taking the Buds out it sometimes happened that the touch and hold gesture has been triggered.
I have only used them for about an hour constantly, and this is when i noticed a little pressure in my ears which is a result of them having no tips but are build solid. And if someone is missing me writing about ANC, this is for purpose, because ANC is missing.
Overall Score: 3.⅘
Final Thoughts
The realme Buds Air Neo are more for a short time listening experience. for me the price tag 39.99€ is quite a bit high compared to it’s sound qualities. The gestures are precise and the ability to customize them all to suit your needs is the best thing about these buds, unfortunately there are too few features to choose from. The app is really clear and although it is used for many smart devices it is very easy to use. What I would really call a major downside is the micro USB port.
My closest comparison would be with the ZTE Buds, which offer a similar size and overall experience, but the ZTE Buds are slightly affordable.
Credits
A BIG Thank You goes out to @DarkPikaJP for his idea of rating each section. I just adopted it and I think I wouldn’t have come up with it on my own.
