The original innovator AirPods's rival? Samsung Gear IconX headset detailed evaluation

The last published article “Forgot AirPods, Real Wireless Bluetooth Headphones Inventory” inventoryed some of the real wireless Bluetooth headsets on the market and was welcomed by valued friends. My gold coins have finally changed from double digits to three. The number is but a summative article after all, and there is not much of it. This brings us the latest version of Samsung's Gear IconX Bluetooth headset that was introduced last time and the detailed evaluation. It should be considered as the first original in a strict sense. I believe that you should know about this. It's all here

Samsung and Apple are also considered to be a pair of old friends who love to kill each other. Both are tit for tat in various fields. This is not, Samsung grabbed in front of Apple's AirPods, released its own Gear IconX true wireless Bluetooth headset. In addition to a Bluetooth headset, there are many other black technologies. Currently, there are more than one true wireless Bluetooth headsets on the market, but most of them are from startup companies. Samsung's one should be regarded as a rare product. Now, please check this headset with me.

Out of the box

This is the first giveaway from Samsung Bomb 7. Before the station, both of the sun were in the US version. This should be regarded as the first edition of the State Bank version. The upper part of the package has a transparent design, allowing people to see the headset and storage box at a glance, the front verification code can be used to check the authenticity of the headset (but this stuff is still not come out of the cottage), wireless intelligent motion tracking headset At a glance, there is a large wooden block. The current version of the State Bank has not yet been publicly listed and cannot be accessed through the usual channels. Therefore, the product link is not on the list. (Small series is still on the last Ma Yun's bar.)

I haven't opened it yet. I can seal it.

The main features of the product are listed on the back of the box. It will be described in detail below.

The upper part is the headset and storage box, the lower part of the small box contains other accessories and instructions

List of accessories, including headsets, storage boxes, data cables, otg adapters (for importing music from mobile phones), replacement earbuds and ear flaps.

Exterior

Because the surface has a nano coating (thus having a certain waterproof capacity, sweating is not afraid of the sport), the entire headset is a smooth and slightly reflective feeling, very texture, and the silver edge is also very harmonious. The shape is very sleek and compact, and the weight is light. I believe that even if it is worn by the sister, she will not have any burden. I forgot to compare the pictures. I can only describe it orally, and the size of a headset is almost the same as a one-dollar coin.

The back of the headset is marked with the left and right sides, and there is an electric shock of charging and data transmission.

Below the headphone is the sensor. Many of IconX's black technologies are included, including heartbeat sensors, distance sensors, and acceleration sensors. It is with these sensors that IconX can intelligently recognize its own status, such as being placed in a charging box or stuffed into the ear. The upper hole can be turned off with a needle (yes, the only way to shut down, the next time you're going to spit it again)

There are holes in the other part of the body, which is a microphone for realizing the call function and ambient sound function

The new headset cannot be used directly. It needs to be put in the charging box for 20 minutes.

Charging

Since Bragi the Dash began, charging and incorporating the headset has become a standard for true wireless headsets, IconX is no exception. The advantages of the charging box are obvious. First, because the volume of the headset is very small, incorporating it into the headset box can provide protection and prevent loss. Second, due to the limitation of the volume, the battery of the headset cannot be made very large, through the headset box. , When you do not need to use the headset to charge, you can extend the life of the headset in disguise, so that it reaches or even beyond the average life of a Bluetooth headset.

IconX's storage box has a unique shape, like a capsule. I wonder if Samsung has foreseen Note7's accident, so it is designed as a pill. The shape is still very small, and there is no pressure in the bag.

The two lights below indicate the battery status of the left and right earphones respectively: red indicates charging, green indicates charging, and flashing red indicates no battery. The middle button is used to open the charging box.

There are charging and transmitting contacts in the box, and there is a special area for the position of the corresponding sensor so that the headset can recognize whether it is put into the earphone box. The box has a buckled design that is very stable and won't suddenly pop open, causing the headset to be lost. Incidentally, although the earphones have the ability to splash water, but before the charge must clean the contacts, otherwise it may lead to a short circuit, a thousand ocean headphones, no one do not want to be so bad

The input of 5V 0.5A is not large, but it is sufficient for the headphone box with only 315mah. When charging, the headset and the headphone box are charged together. Therefore, only 0.5A output computer usb port is not quite enough. Will charge more slowly, it is recommended to use about 1A charger to charge.

On the back is the headphone box interface, using standard micro-usb interface, and most mobile phones are common, next to the light indicates the battery status of the headphone box.

In terms of charging time, it takes about 40 minutes to charge the headset from full power to full power. It takes about 70 minutes to fully charge the headset box (using a computer usb), which is considered acceptable. When you don't use it, put your headphones in the box. When you use it, you will be resurrected with blood.

Wear

Two sets of earplugs and ear flaps are included in the accessories, plus three. Be sure to choose earbuds and ear flaps that fit your ear size, as it relates to wearing comfort, stability, sound insulation, and music effects. After I tried on it, I chose the collocation of the medium ear plug and the small ear wing.

Facts have proved that the presence of ear wings allows the earphone to be firmly stuck in the ear, and will not fall out even if it undergoes intense exercise. So those who worry about losing in sports can feel at ease

After inserting the earphone into the ear, the earphone will beep and enter the visible state of Bluetooth. At this time, you can use the mobile phone to search for Bluetooth to connect the earphone. The next time you re-use, just open the phone Bluetooth, you can automatically link up.

software

Samsung provides the software for the mobile phone and the PC, respectively. The following describes the mobile phone.

The Gear and S health software needs to be downloaded and installed from the software market. The former is used to manage and configure the headset, and the latter is used to record movement data.

When you open the Gear software for the first time and connect the headset, it will prompt you to download the following software, which you can use after downloading it. Note that if Google Play is not installed on the phone, this step will be reported as an error. It is recommended that you play the game first on the phone, and uninstalling it after installation will not affect it. Samsung's software has always been closed, before the Gear series bracelet can even link Samsung's own mobile phone, but this time more open Samsung, as long as the Android 4.4 or more, 1.5g of storage, can be used normally, be considered a progress It.

This is Gear's interface, which includes the headphone's battery level, volume, sport history, and the music it is currently listening to. There is a main headphone with a phone icon on the headset. The phone only links with the main headphone, and then the secondary headphone is linked with the main headphone, so only the main headphone has a voice when making a call.

There are many items that can be set, including whether to play the phone or the music in the headphones, play random music, turn on the ambient sound, select the language, select the main headset, and so on.

Please note that Gear software must be installed on your phone to enable ambient sound and motion monitoring. Samsung did not provide ios and wp clients. Therefore, Apple and Microsoft mobile phone users should find an Android device to enable the above functions before they can be used normally. Otherwise, only the call and playback functions will waste other black technologies.

As for S Health, it may be because IconX is the new reason. Although there are options for IconX, they suggest that they cannot be interoperable. It is really drunk that this software can only be updated by Samsung's follow-up software.

Although mobile phones can also import music, the PC is obviously more convenient. Place the headset in the charging box, close the lid, and connect to the computer with the data cable. The system will prompt you to find a storable device. After that, you can pull music in like a USB drive.

Both the left and right ears come with 4g of memory, so each headset can be used independently, disregarding the main headset settings when used alone. If you want a piece of music to play in both headphones, then both headphones must have this music. It can be pulled in manually, or it can be automatically synchronized using the matching software (it comes with the headset memory). At the same time supporting software can also be updated on the headset firmware (upgrade can only be done through the pc side). Built-in storage only supports up to 1000 songs (this is definitely not a disadvantage)

use

You can enjoy music by copying it into your headphones via a computer, or linking it to your mobile phone. Put on headphones, automatically enter the boot state, remove the headphones 10 seconds later, the music automatically stops, or very convenient.

IconX's big selling point is touch operation. The area inside the silver border is a touch area, which has a large area and can be easily operated even if the eyes are invisible. The actual reaction is also very sensitive, tap, the headset can recognize the operation. The operation of music playback includes clicking play/pause; double-clicking to switch the next; tapping three times to switch to the previous one; sliding up and down to adjust the volume. Actual operation is still very cool with the high face value, in use there are several sisters are up to ask you what this is it ah let me think this headset true value personally feel that if you can change the switching operation will be better left and right sliding , it may be because the headset is too small, Samsung is not afraid of misuse this set it.

When there is no link to the phone, the headset plays back the built-in stored music. After linking to a mobile phone, the music of the mobile phone is played by default, but it is also possible to select to play the built-in stored music in the gear software.

IconX also comes with a microphone so it can be used for talking. When the call arrives, the headset will play a ringtone. At this point, the headset will be answered twice. Press and hold for a long time. Slide up or down to adjust the volume. In practical use, both parties can hear each other's voice and be considered qualified.

Environmental sound function

This is also a big selling point of IconX. The purpose is to let you hear the surrounding sound while listening to music. This is undoubtedly a safe protection for night runners.

The method is to press and hold the headset. The headset will read out the options. When you hear “enable the environment sound”, you can let go. The headset will prompt “environmental sound effect is turned on.” The same operation can be performed when the headset is turned off. It can also be turned on or off in the Gear software.

After the ambient sound is enabled, the headset collects the surrounding sound through the microphone and transmits it to you. It sounds a bit like the feeling of listening to the radio, slightly offensive and feeling that in view of IconX good sound insulation performance, this feature is still very useful when you are walking It is useful to listen to music when you are running at night, or when someone else speaks to you (of course, the quicker method is to remove the headset), and the operation is convenient.

Sports monitoring

Finally to the highlight Sports monitoring is the biggest difference between IconX and ordinary headphones, but also the main selling point. The headset comes with a heartbeat sensor and an accelerometer. It can monitor heartbeats and paces, and then it comes with built-in storage. It allows you to truly experience the abandonment of mobile phones and the refreshing pleasure of bringing a headset. Of course, in order to test its life, I still bring it. The phone went out together. Ok, let's run

Contrast: 1, Fenix ​​3 watch + Mio Fuse bracelet, the former is the leader in outdoor watches, and the latter is recognized as one of the most accurate photoelectric heart rate bracelet.

2, IconX + millet 5 (the exercise data at this time is provided by Xiaomi 5)

3, IconX

After linking IconX to the phone, open S Health, click to start running, and then you can start. At this time, the headset will prompt you to accelerate or decelerate according to the exercise plan you set.

If you do not connect your mobile phone, press the headset for a long time, and you hear the word “start exercise” and then release it, you can enter the sport mode. At this time, the headset will prompt you with heart rate, distance, and time after each distance (can be set). With speed and other information. You can also relax your hand by pressing and holding the headset and listening to "Sport Details". The headset will broadcast the current sports information in real time. After the game is over, you can sync the sports record to S Health through gear software.

The following is the result of running, the order is the same as above

You can see............ what ghost! ! ! S health actually does not record heartbeat data. That is to say, S Health and IconX are currently not compatible, so they have no other role than watching sports records or can only wait for software upgrades.

In comparison between IconX and Fenix3+Fuse, it can be seen that there are differences between the two. In terms of speed and distance (I can't wait for Tucao to run slower) because IconX uses accelerometers, and Fenix3 uses both GPS and accelerometers, and the latter is more accurate, but IconX's data is still valuable and sufficient for Accuracy requires less than occasions. In terms of heart rate, it can be seen that IconX's heart rate curve is roughly consistent with the pace, and is not accurate enough on average but in absolute terms. In actual running, if the heart rate is kept at a relatively stable level, the data of IconX is close to the Fuse, the difference is about 2-5, and if the heartbeat changes violently, the difference can reach about 5-10. . Again, that applies to situations where accuracy is not too demanding.

Conclusion: IconX is enough for everyday running, but for professional or semi-professional runners, sports watches are the more suitable choice. Of course, I hope that Samsung can improve the accuracy of the data through software upgrades.

Lifetime

Another highlight: When Samsung announced IconX, its linking Bluetooth was only able to use the 1.5-hour feature and was criticized. What actually happened?

When the function is fully on (linking a mobile phone, playing a mobile phone music, and turning on a sports mode or linking S healthy), a total of 85 minutes have elapsed from full power to when the main earphone prompts the battery level to be less than 5%. It can be seen that its life is consistent with Samsung's description. At the same time, the main headset consumes more power than the sub-headset. After the main headset is de-energized, the battery is not alarmed until the sub-headphone is used alone for 15 minutes.

If you do not connect your mobile phone, use the built-in memory, and turn on the sport mode, after using it for 2 hours, there will still be about 40% of the electricity (you will listen to my ears again). In this mode, the power is still sufficient. It should be the model that Samsung wants users to use.

The headphone box contains a 315mah battery. The official said that it can be filled twice with the headset. However, it is not practical. Why is it? Because this headset even if it is taken off, enters the standby mode, it is still in the power consumption, and the power consumption is not low. It is actually put the headset on the outside of the headphone box, and the standby time is 2 days from full power to no power. So actually the headphone The box cannot be filled twice and can only be filled once more.

Therefore, if IconX is used as an ordinary Bluetooth headset, even if the headset can be charged twice, the actual use time is only 4.5 hours, which is not up to the level of a general Bluetooth headset. If it is used as a sports mp3 like Sony's B-trainer, the use time can exceed 8 hours, it is quite satisfactory.

other

1, sound quality: As a sports Bluetooth headset, the sound quality is obviously not its selling point. And only supports the SBC format, does not support AAC and APTX, one step behind the sound source. However, as an in-ear type earphone, the rhythm of the rhythm is still very strong, so it is also more suitable for sports use.

2, Bluetooth connection stability: Although Samsung and Apple are right, IconX Apple's connection is significantly more stable than Android. When running, if the Android phone is not on the same side of the main headphone, the music will often be stuck, but Apple will not, but because of the phenomenon of ordinary Bluetooth headsets I used to have before, so it is not a Disadvantages.

3, waterproof performance, the official description of the only anti-splashing water, not handcuffs so do not help it under the tap rushed.

to sum up:

advantage:

1, good-looking, high value, in kind, white is better than black and blue

2, completely wireless design, thoroughly bid farewell to the stethoscope effect and the obstruction of the headphone cable

3, many functions, only need to bring headphones to go out to run

4, Dachang produced, after sale and workmanship guaranteed

Disadvantages:

1, life is very general

2, data accuracy needs to be improved

3, the software needs to be improved

4, expensive

Looking at the friends here, I have to tell you that I am a headline party because IconX and AirPods are not products of the same category, so there is no match at all. IconX, in a strict sense, should be a sports MP3 with Bluetooth, not a Bluetooth headset. If you are hoping to run with it at night, it will be a good choice if you run away, but if you want to use it as a Bluetooth headset, I'm sorry, it could not even hold a movie as Samsung. The imperfect test of water is inevitable, but it still has its unique charm that distinguishes it from ordinary headphones, so if you have enough budget, you may wish to try it out.

PS: If you have other friends like you know, you can comment in the comments, I will add in

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