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 of affordable Beats earbuds to go with it, the Flex could fit the bill.

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

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

For the price, you can't beat the Beats Flex. These earbuds offer a lot of the cool features that the AirPods do but at a cheaper price. While they're lacking in sound quality and the microphone could be better, these are a solid pair of inexpensive wireless earbuds.

Price; Consistent connection strength; Intuitive controls; Earbuds snap together; Auto play/pause

Sound quality; Microphone isn't great; No official IP rating or sweat-resistance

Beats Flex is a good pair of headphones and a decent choice if you’re picking up an iPhone 12 and don’t want to spend more on AirPods. The smarts that come from the W1 chip is great to have at this price and the sound quality is ok, if a bit flat.

Some AirPod smarts for a lot less; Neckband design can be useful; USB-C is great for Android users; They're cheap

Sound quality is a little bit flat; USB-C annoying for iPhone users; No sweat resistance makes them harder to recommend for the gym

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...

Beats Flex is a good pair of headphones and a decent choice if you’re picking up an iPhone 12 and don’t want to spend more on AirPods. The smarts that come from the W1 chip is great to have at this price and the sound quality is ok, if a bit flat.

Some AirPod smarts for a lot less; Neckband design can be useful; USB-C is great for Android users; They're cheap;

Sound quality is a little bit flat; USB-C annoying for iPhone users; No sweat resistance makes them harder to recommend for the gym;

The Beats Flex are decent for mixed use. They have a comfortable, lightweight fit and are stable enough for moderate exercise. They also have a bass-heavy sound profile to keep you pumped up at the gym or office.

Comfortable, stable fit; Good build quality.

No EQ; Struggles to cut down bass-range noise.

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

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