AUGUST 2021 MACWORLD 115It’s a strange mix of
supported and
unsupported Apple
ecosystem features,
but suffice it to say if
you use a lot of Apple
products and services,
AirPods Pro are going
to give you more of
that “Apple magic.”
BETTER FOR
ANDROID USERS
If you use an Android
phone at least some of
the time or share your
earbuds with someone
who does, the Beats
Studio Pro are maybe
better suited for that
purpose than the W1/H1-equipped Beats
products are.
The case charges with USB-C rather
than Lightning (there’s no wireless
charging), and they support the new
Google Fast Pair standard to connect
more easily. They also support Google’s
Find My Device in addition to Apple’s Find
My network.
You may not get hands-free “Hey,
Google” support, but this is still a more
full-featured overall experience than you’ll
get with most modern Beats products on
an Android phone.
DESIGN THAT DISAPPEARS IN
YOUR EARS
I’m quite enamored with the design of the
Studio Buds. The charging case is about
the same size as that of the AirPods Pro,
much smaller than the one for the
Powerbeats Pro. The buds are tiny,
lightweight, and extremely comfortable.
They just slip right in your ear, with no
stem sticking down, and without a big
bulbous hump sticking out to catch on
your winter hat. I was surprised to find
they didn’t get uncomfortable at all over
a couple of hours of listening, and theyThe little earbuds are small, light, and don’t stick out very far, so
they won’t dislodge too easily.