Xiaomi introduced its first clip-on earbuds. They have a ton of smart features and decent battery life

Clip-on earbuds, which clip onto the ear cartilage and leave the ear canal open, have attracted many manufacturers in recent years. This type of design will be appreciated especially by those who find silicone ear tips uncomfortable or who want to hear their surroundings while running or at work. Among the most well-established models are those from the Huawei FreeClip or Bose Ultra Open lines, but now Xiaomi is finally joining with its Clip earbuds. Following the OpenWear series of open-back models, these were introduced along with the Smart Band 10 Pro and the 17 Max phone, so far only in the Chinese market, but they could arrive in our region in the future.

Lightweight design with a transparent sphere

With the previously introduced OpenWear models, Xiaomi opted for a design where each earbud hooks behind the ear from the back. However, the Clip model takes a different approach – it essentially embraces your earlobe. Even so, it naturally adheres to the same credo: to leave the ear canal open.

Each earbud weighs only 5.5 grams, so you shouldn’t even notice it on your ear after a few minutes. The attachment is handled by an arched bridge made of memory titanium with a grip tuned to 3.4 mm – designed to hold firmly but not press into the cartilage after hours of wear. The transparent acoustic sphere with a surface resembling a vinyl record, through which the internal structure is visible, attracts attention. There are four colors to choose from: Obsidian Black, Pearl White, Satin Gold, and Parrot Purple.

On a single charge, the earbuds last 9 hours, and with the charging case, the battery life extends to 38 hours. Fast charging promises four hours of listening in 10 minutes, and the earbud body is protected against dust and water with an IP57 rating (note that the case itself is not covered by this rating).

Large Driver and Hi-Res Audio

Despite their small size, the earbuds feature an 11mm dynamic driver with a microcrystalline metal-coated diaphragm, covering a frequency range of 20 Hz to 48 kHz. For wireless transmission, Xiaomi opted for Bluetooth 5.4 and, in addition to AAC and SBC, also included the high-quality LHDC 5.0 codec, earning them Hi-Res Audio Wireless certification. A common weakness of open-back earbuds is sound leakage into the surroundings, to which Xiaomi responds with reverse sound wave technology, which uses an opposing phase to suppress what people around you would otherwise hear.

For calls, a trio of microphones supplemented by a bone VPU microphone is used, which separates your voice from ambient noise. An adaptive algorithm then selects the microphone that sounds clearest based on the situation – so the other party should understand without problems even in noisy environments.

Translator, Dictaphone, and Voice Assistant

The biggest added value is the software. The earbuds can interpret in real-time in 21 languages, and even handle Czech. Translation works in several modes – during face-to-face conversations, during calls, and as simultaneous interpretation for lectures or videos. Additionally, there’s a dictaphone with AI transcription and automatic summary generation via the Xiaomi Earbuds app, and the Super Xiao Ai voice assistant with fluid conversation, which can even react to the user’s mood.

Practical features are also present: connection to two devices simultaneously, gestures (double-tap to play or pause music, triple-tap to skip to the next track), or finding lost earbuds. The latter works via the location network of devices with HyperOS 3, but Xiaomi also thought of iPhone owners – the case can be located via Apple Find My, and most smart features are compatible with the Apple ecosystem.

Price and Availability

In China, the Xiaomi Clip costs 849 yuan (approx. 2,600 CZK), and during the introductory offer, it’s 799 yuan (approx. 2,500 CZK). Whether they will come to Europe has not yet been confirmed.

Would you give clip-on earbuds a chance, or do you remain loyal to in-ear models?

Source: Xiaomi