True Wireless headset series with integrated display screen

After the boom period, True Wireless headset manufacturers began to make adjustments to make their products more novel. Among these, some put the display screen on the charging box to support intuitive control instead of through the smartphone screen.

Theo The Vergethe screen helps users monitor battery level, control music playback, switch functions, receive notifications… without opening the phone. With some high-end models, the screen also supports finding headphones, accessing AI features, and turning the charging box into an independent control device.

However, the screen also entails many trade-offs when additional components increase production costs, causing higher selling prices. Charging boxes are often large and heavy, consuming energy. This part also scratches easily, increasing repair costs and affecting overall durability.

Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro and Liberty 5 Pro Max

Soundcore – an audio equipment brand belonging to Anker Innovations, is the latest company to enter the True Wireless headset market with an integrated screen on the charging box with two models Liberty 5 Pro and Liberty 5 Pro Max.

The biggest difference between the two lies in the charging box, when Liberty 5 Pro uses a 0.96-inch TFT touch screen to quickly control basic features; while Liberty 5 Pro Max is equipped with a 1.78-inch AMOLED screen and the ability to record meetings, convert voice to text, summarize content and translate using AI, becoming the first model on the market to include these functions on the screen of the case.

Both are also equipped with their own AI chip called Thus (Thus AI) developed by Anker, focusing on improving conversation quality, active noise cancellation (ANC) and real-time processing, accompanied by 10 sensors including microphones and bone conduction system, allowing to separate voice from environmental noise. In addition, the two products also support Spatial Audio or sound personalization tool using AI HearID 5.0.

Liberty 5 Pro is currently priced at 4.29 million VND, while Liberty 5 Pro Max is higher at 5.99 million VND.

JBL Tour Pro 3

JBL is considered one of the first brands to put a touch screen on the charging box, with the first model Tour Pro 2 launched at the end of 2022. The latest version Tour Pro 3 was sold in Vietnam last year, currently priced at 5.9 million VND.

The charging box integrates a touch screen, allowing users to control many functions such as playing music, switching songs, adjusting noise cancellation and viewing battery status without opening the phone. Compared to other models on the market, the box can act as an audio signal transmitter by connecting to computers, in-flight entertainment systems or other devices via USB-C port or 3.5mm port, then transmitting audio to the headset.

Tour Pro 3 is equipped with a 10.2 mm dynamic driver, supports Bluetooth 5.4, LE Audio, Auracast and LDAC codec, comes with active noise cancellation, crosstalk… However, the product is still limited when designed larger than some competitors in the same segment. The audio transmission feature through the charging case is only suitable for a certain group of users, and may not be used frequently.

Cleer Arc III Music

Arc III Music has an “open” design (open-ear), manufactured by Cleer (USA). With the touch screen, users can control music playback, calls, adjust sound mode, update firmware or find headphones directly on the charging box without opening the app on the phone.

The product uses a 16.2 mm graphene driver, supports Snapdragon Sound, LDAC, aptX Lossless and Dolby Atmos. The over-the-ear design helps users still hear environmental sounds while playing music. The headset meets IPX7 waterproof standards, Bluetooth 5.4, maximum battery life of 50 hours. However, the open-ear design means that sound insulation is almost non-existent, sounds from the environment still enter the ears during use. The touch screen charging box is larger in size than the average market average.

Arc III Music is sold in the Vietnamese market for 4.99 million VND. In addition to this model, there is also an upgraded version of Arc III Music and a version for sports players Cleer Arc 3 Sport Pro for 5.49 million VND.

Honor Choice CuBuds

Honor Choice CuBuds is equipped with a 2-inch color touch screen on the charging box. In addition to displaying battery level and connection status, this screen also allows you to control music playback, change the wallpaper, display real-time lyrics, set alarms, view calendars, read TXT files, play simple games, and remotely trigger photography on the phone. The charging box also integrates 4 GB of memory to store and play music directly without connecting a phone, but increases the size and weight of the charging box compared to many regular True Wireless models.

The headset uses 12.4 mm dynamic drivers, Bluetooth 6.0, AI call noise reduction, connects two devices at the same time, meets IP54 water resistance standard and provides a total of 50 hours of use when combined with the charging box. With a price of 1.5 million VND, the product does not have multiple driver configurations or support high-resolution audio standards like some models in the higher segment.

Ugreen ClipBuds Magic WS208

WS208 is considered the cheapest headset model with an integrated touch screen on the market. Manufactured by Ugreen accessory company (China), the product is currently sold for 650,000 VND, targeting users with basic needs.

Through the touch screen, users can control music playback, change songs, adjust EQ mode, find headphones or view battery status directly on the screen without opening the application on the phone. The device also supports Ugreen App with 8 EQ modes and Game Mode.

However, with the open-ear design, the soundproofing ability of the WS208 is almost non-existent, environmental sounds still enter the ears when in use, and the bass range is difficult to reach the energy level of in-ear models with silicon earplugs.