Motorola has created many earbuds, but never competed. In 2024, things change! With the new Motorola Edge 50 series comes Moto Buds Plus. These are Motorola’s top wireless headphones. Fortunately, Moto Buds Plus will be in the US at $129, Canada for $179, and Europe at €149. Additionally, there’s a basic model called Moto Buds for €59 in Europe but not in the US.
Design and color options
Upon seeing Apple’s AirPods Pro before, the Moto Buds Plus will seem familiar. The case and earbuds look alike. The case is tiny and light, hardly noticeable in my pocket. The earbuds are comfy even after long use. Both are made from a nice material that feels good and repels fingerprints, which I like. However, the case’s quality seems a bit fragile. Motorola gives just two color options – dark Forest Gray and light Beach Sand. We have the lighter one.
The case opens like a clamshell. It shows two earbuds and a pairing button in the middle. I find this easier than AirPods Pro, which open differently. It helps me know which earbud goes where. The earbuds are small with short stems and soft tips, not bulky. They have an IP54 rating for water and dust resistance, good for some water splashes or sweat during workouts.
Fit and feel
The Moto Buds Plus are lightweight and comfortable to wear for long periods, whether during work or leisure time. Motorola provides two additional silicon tip sizes in case the preinstalled ones are not suitable for your ears. The Moto Buds app on the Google Play Store offers an option to assess how well the headphones fit your ears. While the default tips were comfortable and secure for me, they may vary in fit for others due to different ear shapes. It is important to ensure the plug-in eartips are comfortable before use. The various size options available should cater to different preferences.
Pairing
Pairing the device is quite simple – just open the case, press the button in the center until it flashes blue, then access your phone’s Bluetooth settings to locate and connect with the Moto Buds Plus. It was unexpected that the earbuds needed to be in the case for pairing, as I couldn’t activate pairing mode while wearing them. It’s a minor detail to remember.
Pros
- Lightweight, compact, and super comfortable
- A comprehensive set of features with lots of customization
- Responsive and reliable
Cons
- Latency issues: not good for gaming
- Build quality feels a bit cheap
Companion App & Features
The companion app is named the Moto Buds app, and it is notably thorough. It displays the battery levels of both earbuds and the case, the connected buds, noise control modes, and offers various customization choices. Beginning with the noise control modes, they are listed from left to right as follows:
- Off
- Transparency
- Adaptive
- Noise Cancellation
In addition to noise control, you can also enjoy some other useful features like the option to connect the Moto Buds Plus to two devices at the same time. I found this feature a bit tricky to set up as I had to adjust settings on both my laptop and phone, but it functioned fine in the end. Additionally, there are specific Hi-Res and Game modes available. The Hi-Res mode allows for high-quality audio streaming from your phone to the earbuds, while the Game mode lowers the quality for quicker transfers and reduced latency. In my personal usage, I found that the Game mode did not significantly enhance latency, leading to noticeable lag between my gameplay actions and the corresponding sound output, which is why I would not suggest these earbuds for gaming. Motorola has also integrated in-ear detection, which automatically pauses playback when one of the buds is removed.
Touch Gestures
Motorola has opted for touch-sensitive controls over pinching the stems for the Moto Buds Plus. Personally, I find touch controls to be more precise, responsive, and intuitive. During my time using them, the touch gestures on the Moto Buds Plus were consistently reliable without any incorrect inputs.
Here are the default gestures you can do with Moto Buds Plus:
- Double tap—answer or end call, or if you’re listening/watching something, play or pause
- Triple tap—previous/next for the left/right earbud
- Pinch three times—previous song
- Long tap—noise control
Noise Cancellation (ANC)
Unfortunately, the transparency mode is fixed and does not allow for customization of which frequencies to allow or block out, meaning there is no option for a “voices-only mode.” Despite this limitation, a significant amount of ambient noise is still able to pass through, giving the sensation of not wearing the earbuds due to their lightweight design. The adaptive feature can be somewhat erratic, similar to other headphones with active noise cancellation. Personally, I find it more preferable to manually adjust the level of noise pass-through.
Sound Quality
The Noise Cancellation function effectively reduces undesired noises, although some higher-frequency sounds may still be audible. Despite being earbuds of standard quality rather than high-end ones, the noise cancellation capability appears above average in my opinion, so kudos to Motorola for that. The Moto Buds Plus can reach high volume levels, but there is a slight decrease in quality at maximum volume. Sound quality remains good below 80%. The audio profile is generally well-balanced, with a slight emphasis on the bass side.
When it comes to bass, I was pleasantly surprised by the powerful low frequencies produced by these small devices when playing hip-hop and R&B music. I thoroughly enjoyed nodding my head along to the beats. I found that videos and audio content with dialogue were also clear and easy to understand. Additionally, there is an EQ tool available that allows you to customize the sound profile by choosing from four presets: flat (default), bass boost, vocal boost, and brilliant treble. While the bass boost preset was a bit overwhelming for me, I found the other two presets to be quite useful. The brilliant treble mode works well for tracks with prominent vocals, while the vocal boost is more suitable for podcasts.
Battery Life & Charging
The Moto Buds Plus have excellent battery life. With ANC and Hi-Res mode enabled, I was able to achieve approximately 6 hours of usage. Disabling these features will provide an additional 2 hours of battery life. The charging case can recharge the buds almost three times. Furthermore, the case is equipped with quick charging capabilities, allowing for a couple of hours of playback with just a 10-minute charge. The case can be charged wirelessly or through a USB-C cable.
