The Beats Flex bring the brand-name wireless headphones to the masses at a lower price, but it’s not without making some big sacrifices in sound quality and design. We don’t love them as much as the top-tier AirPods Pro or even the Powerbeats Pro, but if you just bought a new iPhone and want a pair...

Affordable price; Fast-charging; Auto-play/pause

Sound is a steep v-shape; Tricky fit without wingtips; Limited codec support

: Available for just £50, the Beats Flex do nearly everything you could ask for at this price

Excellent sound for the money; Auto-pause; Solid battery life

No waterproofing; Nothing else of note at this price

The Beats Flex earphones offers a bass-forward sound signature and the easy connectivity of Apple’s W1 chip for just $50.

Affordable; Powerful; bass-forward performance; Apple's W1 chip provides seamless integration with iOS devices and audio sharing functionality

No water-resistance rating; USB-C charging only

“12-hour battery life, great sound, and a killer price make them hard to beat.”

Great price; Comfortable; Very good sound quality; Very good call quality; Easy pairing with Apple products

Quick charging is slower than BeatsX; Controls can be a bit finicky to use; USB-C charging cable doesn’t fit regular USB ports; No official IPX rating

The new $50 Beats Flex are a very smart play from Apple’s Beats division. One reason why is obvious: with the iPhone 12 lineup no longer shipping with included earbuds, this neckband-style option could prove to be a popular substitute.

Improved battery life; USB-C connector; Easy-to-use controls

Not rated for sweat resistance; So-so noise isolation; No automatic device switching

Beats’ most affordable wireless earbuds give you basic on-board controls with AirPod-level quick pairing. The Flex has longer battery life than the BeatsX as well, but the overall sound quality is not great.

$50; 12-hour battery life; Full suite of on-board controls; Quick pairing via W1 chip

Inconsistent audio performance; Design may be awkward for some; No hands-free Siri; No sound or controls customization

Apple just launched a new Beats headphone model. To replace the BeatsX wireless neckband earbuds, Beats Flex is an even more paired down set of basic headphones. There isn't a whole lot going on with these super low-cost headphones, but considering they're from Apple and they're part of the Beats...