Nokia Mobile unveiled its True Wireless earphones during its Nokia 7.1 launch event and we got to try a pair out.

There are now numerous true wireless options out there including the B&O Beoplay E8, Bose SoundSport Free and Apple AirPods. The Nokia set is pretty price competitive at  €129 Euros or $148 USD. We don't yet have UK pricing. 

Here's our initial thinking on the earphones after trying them out at the Nokia launch event. 

Our quick take

Well designed, Nokia's True Wireless effort is actually rather good and the fact they're splashproof is very welcome, too. The tube-like case is neat and well-thought-out, too.

Our only concern is over the size of the earbuds themselves. We're rather concerned that we'd lose them becuase they are so light and there's not an awful lot to hold onto. 

We're looking forward to giving them a full run-out when we get them for review.

Nokia True Wireless Earbuds initial

FORAGAINST
  • Well thought-out case
  • Punchy sound
  • Splashproof
  • Small earphones will be easy-to-lose

Nokia BH-705

Amazon

Design

  • Spring-loaded button on the end of the cylinder case
  • Super-light 5g earphones
  • IPX4 splashproof

As you can see, Nokia's True Wireless earbuds come inside this nicely-styled metal cylinder - they're only available in black, by the way. 

You push the button at the end of the cylinder to release the tray that carries and charges the earphones.

Nokia True Wireless Earbuds initial review Splashproof wire-free listening image 5
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The earphones are a little fiddly once out of the case and are easily droppable since they are extremely light at a mere 5g each.

They're even more droppable than the AirPods (which we have dropped down the aisle of a bus, thanks) due to the small (and unsightly) stalk.

You can change the earbud tips to suit the size of your ear, which you can't do with the AirPods  - they don't have tips. 

The Nokia earphones are splashproof - obviously, we couldn't test this for our first look but they're rated IPX4, or protected from splashing water like rain.

Specs and battery life

  • Battery life around 3.5 hours
  • Three extra charges contained in case
  • USB-C charging

Obviously, we weren't able to test out the battery life during our brief play with the earphones, but according to Nokia they can last up to 3.5-4 hours on a single charge and the case can fully charge the earphones up to three times.

Our experience with other true wireless earphones is that they can last for varying lengths of time depending on what you're doing - we found talking on the phone runs the AirPods down quicker than just listening to music but Nokia says these will last slightly longer if you're using them for calls instead of music. 

Nokia True Wireless Earbuds initial review Splashproof wire-free listening image 4
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That's about half what Apple cites for the AirPods in terms of charging from the case, but the duration a single charge will last is around the same.

Charging is via USB-C. The charge port is the other end of the cylinder from the open button, while there's also a charging indicator, too.  

Audio quality and fit

  • Stereo music playback
  • Bluetooth 5.0 pairing
  • Three eartip sizes included to suit your ears

We were able to listen to some sample music through Spotify on the Nokia 7.1 sample device that was available for testing.

Our initial listens were positive - we felt they certainly matched the AirPods in terms of audio quality; there was enough punch to the audio for our taste. Again, this was just from listening for a few minutes so we'll look forward to giving them a better listen with a plethora of music types in our full review.

Our experience with eartips isn't hugely positive, but if you usually get on with them fine then there's no reason why you won't be able to get a good seal with the Nokia set - three sizes are included. We played around with a couple of sets but couldn't get the seal quite right. 

Although we didn't get to follow through the pairing process with Bluetooth 5.0, we did witness the way the earphones were ready automatically when they were removed from the case. 

Nokia True Wireless Earbuds initial review Splashproof wire-free listening image 3
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Nokia BH-705

Amazon

To recap

Well designed, Nokia's True Wireless effort looks and sounds rather good. We're looking forward to giving them a full run-out when we get them for review.