Xiaomi’s True Wireless Earbuds are some of the best wireless earbuds you can buy today without breaking the bank. The Redmi Airdots are Xiaomi’s budget TWS earbuds, the latest being the Redmi Airdots 3 (Earbuds 3 Pro in India). Higher up the tier are Flipbuds Pro and Mi Air 2 Pros with Apple’s Airpod-like stem design at sub-$100 price point. The Redmi Buds 3 Pro are mid-tier earbuds sitting in-between budget and premium TWS earbuds.
I have used all Xiaomi’s Redmi Airdots TWS earbuds and you can read our reviews of the Airdots 2, Airdots 3 and Buds 3 Pros just to get a feel of these earbuds before we dive into the comparison. I have not yet got my hands on the Flipbuds Pro or Mi Air 2 Pro, so this comparison will mostly delve into the specs and features until we get our hands on the actual product. However, I have used the Mi AirDots Pro 2 (Mi True Wireless Earphones 2) which are similar in design and functionality with the Mi Air 2 Pro but are a year or two older.
There are about two TWS earbud designs from Xiaomi. The first and most familiar to most people are the rectangular earbuds. They enter into the ear canal completely. They usually have physical button or touch control button to pause/play music and answer/reject calls. These earbuds come with different eartips to fit different ear sizes. The Redmi Airdots 3 Pro (Buds 3 Pro) follow this design.
Then you have wireless earphones, not earbuds. These follow Apple Airpod design with stem that peeps out of your ears. They are just like normal wired earphones but look as if the wires were cut. These wireless earphones usually come with eartips in small/medium/large configuration to fit different ear sizes. That’s the design the flipbuds pro and Mi Air 2 pro follow, but sometimes they don’t have eartips at all like the Mi Airdots pro 2. These wireless earphones usually have premium features such as Active Noise Cancelling, bigger drivers and more microphones and wireless charging.
Here’s a quick summary of Redmi Buds 3 pro vs Flipbuds pro vs Mi Air 2 pro
| Redmi Buds 3 Pro | Flipbuds pro | Mi Air 2 pro(Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 Pro) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Release date | Sept 2021 | March 2021 | Nov, 2020 |
| Model | TWSEJ01ZM | TWSEJ20GT | Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 Pro(TWSEJ10WM) Air 2 Pro (TWSEJ09WM) |
| Weight | 4.9g (per earbud) | 6.5g per earbud 60g with case | 6.5g per earbud 60g with case |
| Size(Case) | 65 x 48 x 26 mm | ||
| Driver unit | 9mm | 11mm | 12mm |
| Bluetooth version | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.0 |
| Bluetooth codecs | SBC/AAC | aptX | SBC, AAC, LHDC |
| Function button | Touch | Touch | Touch |
| Battery capacity | 35mAh (Earbuds), 470mAh (Charging case) | 600mAh (Charging case) | 55 mAh (earbud) 500mAh (Case) |
| Music playback battery | 6 hrs(earbuds), 28 hrs(with charging case) | 7h(Active noise cancellation off state), 28h(with charging box) | 7 hrs (single use), 28 hrs (with charging case) |
| Wireless charging | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Wear detection | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| MIUI pop-up for fast pairing | Yes | Yes | yes |
| Charging port | USB-C | USB-C | USB-C |
| Active Noise Cancelling | 35db with transparency mode | 40db ANC | 35db ANC |
| Waterproof | IPX4 | IPX4 | IPX4 |
| Price | $55 | $140 | $70 |
Related post: Redmi Airdots 2 vs Redmi Airdots 3 vs Redmi Airdots 3 Pro (Buds 3 Pro): Which Airdots should you buy?
Redmi Buds 3 Pro
The Redmi Buds 3 pro also known as Airdots 3 pro in China are the premium model of the Redmi Airdots TWS earbuds. The Airdots 3 Pro/Buds 3 Pro have 35 db Active Noise cancelling(ANC), Dual-device pairing, Transparency mode, Wireless charging and IPX4 waterproof rating, MIUI Pop pairing window. They were launched in Sept, 2021 and feature Bluetooth 5.2 and SBC/AAC codec. They are powered by 470 mAh charging case (35mAh per earbud), USB-C charging and support Qi wireless charging. They are priced at $55 from Aliexpress and are the cheapest in this line up of TWS earbuds or earphones.
Flipbuds Pro
The Flipbuds pro are lightweight weighing just 6.5g and 60g with a charging case. The Flipbbuds pro were launched at the beginning of 2021, and they feature a big 11m driver, 40db Active Noise Cancelling, Bluetooth 5.2 and aptX Bluetooth codecs. From the design and cost perspective, it’s obvious that Xiaomi is going after Apple’s Airpods with these earbuds. The charging case is 600 mAh giving you upto 7 hours on a single charge and 28 hours with the charging case. The case can be charged via USB-C port, is compatible with Qi wireless charging and is IPX4 waterproof. You also get wear detection which auto-pause music when you put them on or off. You also get a MIUI pop-up window for quick pairing with Redmi/Mi phones. They are priced at $140 on aliexpress and are the most expensive in this line up.
Mi Air 2 Pro
The Mi Air 2 pro also known as Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 pro(global version) are lightweight weighing just 6.5g per earbud and 60g with a charging case. They were launched at the end of 2020, an they feature a big 12m speaker driver, 35db Active Noise Cancelling, Bluetooth 5.0 and SBC/AAC/LHDC bluetooth codecs. The charging case is 500 mAh (55 mAh per earbub) giving you upto 7 hours on a single charge and 28-30 hours with the charging case. The case can be charged via USB-C port, is compatible with Qi wireless charging and is IPX4 waterproof. You also get wear detection which auto-pause music when you put them on or off. You also get a MIUI pop-up window for quick pairing with Redmi/Mi phones. They are priced at $70 on aliexpress.
Conclusion
Personally I am quite happy with my Buds 3 Pros. They are ANC TWS earbuds with transparency mode, dual-device pairing, wear detection, MIUI detection and support IPX4. The sound is great too all for sub-$50 price point. But if you’re looking at an Apple Airpod stem-like design, then you’ll have to choose between last year’s $70 Mi Air 2 Pro and this year’s more costly $150 Flipbuds pro. The main difference other than price is in the Bluetooth version and codecs they support from a specs-sheet perspective.
