14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has recently released the Surface Earbuds, or as many people call them, the company’s very own rival to the Apple AirPods.
But as compared to the AirPods, Microsoft’s Surface Earbuds come with one major advantage: they can also work with non-Microsoft devices, so they aren’t limited to just one platform.
In other words, you can pair the Surface Earbuds with Windows 10 devices, be they Microsoft or PCs manufactured by other companies, but also with iPhones and Android smartphones and tablets.
Pairing the Surface Earbuds with iPhones and Android devices is much easier than you’d be tempted to think. And it’s all thanks to the fact that the process doesn’t involve any specific app, as it all comes down to the Bluetooth configuration screen on your smartphone.
The first thing you need to do is put the earbuds in the charging case. Unless the earbuds are placed in their charging case, the pairing process can’t start, as they otherwise believe they’re already paired with a device and try to connect.
Once you do this, press and hold the Pair button that you can find on the bottom of the case. Keep the button pressed for 5 seconds until you see the LED blinking white – this is an indication that the Surface Earbuds have entered the pairing mode, so at this point, you’re ready to sync them with your smartphone. As a side note, this is only required if you’ve used the Surface Earbuds before, as otherwise they automatically enter the pairing mode when opening the case for the first time.
At this point, you need to head over to the Bluetooth settings on your smartphone. The steps for this are different depending on the device, but I’ll detail them for the iPhone 11 and a Samsung phone running Android 10.
iPhone 11
- Settings > Bluetooth
Samsung Galaxy Note9 with Android 10
- Settings > Connections > Bluetooth
Needless to say, make sure Bluetooth is activated regardless of the device and then the Surface Earbuds should automatically show up in the list in this screen once they are detected. Tap them and then complete the pairing process using the instructions on the screen.
As you can see, setting up the Surface Earbuds with an iPhone or Android device comes down to the standard pairing process of a Bluetooth accessory, so it’s not necessarily something that should create problems for rookies.
Once the Surface Earbuds are paired with the smartphone, those on Android, Windows 10, and iPhone can also download the Surface Audio app to further configure the device. The app allows you to personalize the settings, enable and disable gestures, and update the firmware when available.
Microsoft’s Surface Earbuds can be yours right now for just $199.99, and they come in the Light Gray glacier paint that’s the signature color of Surface devices.
The earbuds support Bluetooth 4.1 and 4.2, so they can pair with the majority of devices out there, regardless of the operating system. Windows 10 or later, Android 4.4 or later, and iOS 9 or later, all are supported to work with Surface Earbuds. As you can see, support for macOS isn’t offered, albeit getting them to work shouldn’t be impossible.
The Surface Earbuds should provide up to 24 hours of battery life thanks to the charging case that they ship with. By default, a single charge offers some 8 hours of listening time, while the case adds two more 8-hour charges. A fast charging mode is also available to provide approximately 1 hour of battery life with just 10 minutes of charging.