Mobvoi Ticpods Free review: Impressive, but not the perfect set of earbuds

They're aesthetically appealing, versatile and easy to use; the trouble is the sound output

The true wireless earbuds space is limited in terms of options. To get the desired audio device, one must either shell out a lot of money or settle with whatever is available in the budget.

Mobvoi is among several players in the list that seek to carve a niche in this segment. The company recently came out with TicWatch (Review), a smartwatch at par with the best ones available in the market at present, and now it has brought Ticpods Free true wireless earbuds.

We tried the earbuds recently to see if they live up to expectations. This is what we found:

Design:

It seems everyone is going minimal. That's what we felt after unboxing the Ticpods Free. What we really liked is the way minute details have been taken care of. The aesthetics would strike a chord with modern day audiophiles who prefer a pinch of new style in the overall scheme.

The charging case is small and can fit into any pocket easily. The build quality of the case and the earbuds is really good. The attention given to small details is impressive.

Ticpods Free comes in white, blue, and red colours. We had the red one and they looked really beautiful.

Performance

Despite the Bluetooth 4.2, Ticpods are quick to connect. The earbuds pair with your phone as soon as you open the charging case.

The intuitive touch controls are easy and spot on. To adjust the volume, you can swipe up on the left or right earbud, double-tap to skip a track or take a call, long press the left earbud to pause, and even call the voice assistant by pressing any of the earbuds for 2-3 seconds.

The touch controls respond well to the commands, making the earbuds very impressive.

Also, if you remove the earbuds, the music or video automatically pauses and resumes after you put them on again.

We liked all these features as they make it ideal for people out for a workout, or heading to office. It simply means you don't really need to look at your phone every now and then.

Battery

When it comes to battery life, the output is just average. We were able to use the earbuds for about two hours and 30 minutes at a stretch. The charging case can charge the Ticpods for about 3-4 times, so the overall battery output is anywhere between 12-14 hours approximately.

Sound Quality

The most important part in any earbuds is the sound quality. Considering the expectations set by Mobvoi with the design and other parameters, we had expected more from Ticpods Free earbuds.

The first observation was the lack of bass. We started off with some videos on YouTube and couldn't get the desired sound output. So, we switched to Spotify but didn't find any major improvement.

The treble is clear as it should be, but the bass somehow doesn't get into the picture. This marrs the overall experience.

The ambient noise cancellation does make the sound experience good to some extent, considering the isolation it provides, but the earbuds have their own limitations.

Verdict:

Priced at Rs 8,499, Mobvoi Ticpods Free are above the budget range and stop short of being an ideal audio device owing the the bass deficiency in the overall sound output. Barring that, the earbuds tick everything else. We'd say, Ticpods won't be a sweet deal on price, considering the competition.