Realme

The under Rs. 3,000 price segment in the truly wireless earbuds category is particularly chaotic. We have seen multiple brands fighting to maintain their position in this segment. Realme is one company that has been eyeing a sizeable market share in this segment with its Buds T-series, and with the latest Buds T500 Pro, the brand aims to further solidify its position.

Since smartphones with 7,000mAh batteries (silicon-carbon or otherwise) are now the norm in mid-range and premium segments, Realme has pulled off the unthinkable and launched a production device with a powerbank-like 10,001mAh battery. Given that smartphone chipsets today are much more power-efficient than those in older big-battery (or Max-branded) smartphones, most of them easily last beyond a day or deliver up to 1.5 days of battery life for the casual user. And so, we arrive at the question: Do you need a 10,001mAh capacity battery in a smartphone in 2026? Is it overkill? Or are you better off with something else that delivers better hardware at the same price?

The true wireless stereo (TWS) market in India is becoming increasingly competitive. While this particular category has traditionally been dominated by Chinese and Indian players, including Oppo, OnePlus, Realme, Boat, and Mivi, the market has also seen other players enter, such as CMF. Each brand wants to offer more value-for-money propositions, which is often appreciated by Indian customers. This is where the Realme Buds Air 8 come in, which were recently launched in India alongside the Realme 16 Pro series.