Realme Buds Air Neo Review: A Budget-Friendly Twist on True Wireless Earbuds

Realme has launched the Buds Air Neo as a more affordable alternative to its original Buds Air true wireless earbuds. While visually similar, the Neo version comes with several cost-cutting measures that affect its performance and features. This review examines whether the lower price justifies the compromises.

Design and Build The Buds Air Neo retains the AirPods-inspired design of its predecessor, with a lightweight build that weighs just 4.1 grams per earbud and 30.5 grams for the charging case, making it notably lighter than the original Buds Air. The plastic body has a glossy finish that tends to attract fingerprints, and the half-in-ear design may not suit all ear shapes, sometimes requiring readjustment during activity. The IPX4 rating provides protection against water splashes, an improvement over the non-certified Buds Air.

Pairing and Controls Equipped with Bluetooth 5.0 and Google Fast Pair, the Buds Air Neo pairs quickly and easily, though the 10-meter range can be inconsistent across rooms. Controls are handled by touch sensors on each earbud, customizable through the Realme Link app for Android devices, allowing users to assign actions like play/pause and track navigation. However, the touch response shows a noticeable lag of around 300 to 400 milliseconds.

Audio Performance The 13mm driver, combined with a PU and Titanium composite diaphragm and Dynamic Bass Boost, delivers acceptable sound quality for most genres. While vocals and mid-range frequencies sound clear, bass response is underwhelming by default, though it can be enhanced slightly using third-party equalizers. High frequencies can sound sharp in certain tracks, and the overall lack of high-end codecs limits audio fidelity. In listening tests, tracks like "Black Hole Sun" by Ramin Djawadi showed clarity but occasional harshness in piano notes, while Childish Gambino's "Redbone" delivered only subtle bass cues.

Low-Latency Mode The Buds Air Neo includes a 119ms super low-latency gaming mode, activated by holding both earbuds simultaneously. While this reduces delay compared to standard mode, real-world testing in games like Call of Duty: Mobile revealed that audio still lagged noticeably, making the feature more of a marketing bullet than a practical solution.

Call Quality A single microphone setup replaces the dual-mic system of the Buds Air, resulting in inconsistent call quality. While voices can sound clear in quiet environments, background noise often reduces intelligibility, and users reported that their speech sounded too quiet on the other end.

Battery Life With a 400mAh charging case, the Buds Air Neo advertises 3 hours of playback on a single charge, extendable to 17 hours with the case. In practice, listening at maximum volume with the low-latency mode enabled yielded only about 2 hours of use. Charging takes around 2 hours via a Micro USB connection, a detail that may frustrate users accustomed to USB-C.

Verdict At NPR 5,599, the Realme Buds Air Neo offers reasonable audio quality and portability for casual listeners who prioritize affordability over advanced features. However, its limited battery life, mediocre call performance, and underwhelming bass response make it less appealing to audiophiles or frequent callers. While the Google Fast Pair convenience and IPX4 rating are welcome additions, potential buyers should weigh these benefits against the Neo's clear shortcomings before deciding whether this budget option justifies its place alongside more fully-featured true wireless earbuds.