Rowkin Bit Charge Touch hands-on: true wireless without latency
The Rowkin Bit Charge Stereo true wireless earbuds seemed very promising when we checked them out late last year, but similar to the vast majority out there, they were plagued by incessant dropped connectivity. Back for round two with a slightly upgraded model, which is more like a version 1.5, the Rowkin Bit Charge Touch aims to iron out that aforementioned problem – while also aiming to be a competitive offering in the landscape.
One look at this pair of true wireless earbuds, there’s no denying the obvious here with the design – it's unchanged from before. They really remind us of earplugs, due mainly to their bullet-esque shape, which in a way makes them more discrete than some other models out there. Sure, they’re tiny and have a high potential of being misplaced, but they feel snug in the ear. They don’t feel too loose initially, but if you’re planning to workout with them, just know that they’ll eventually become loose fitting. Still, it’s nice to know that they’re designed to be sweat resistant.
Just as before, it’s accompanied with one of the most ingenious battery charging cases around. Not only do we love how the earbuds are stored in the case with a magnetic connection, but the metal case also doubles as a versatile battery charger as well. Naturally, it’ll recharge the earbuds while they’re in there. In addition to that, there’s a full-sized USB port on its underside, which allows users to charge almost anything else to it. If you’re in a pinch with your smartphone or other mobile device, this definitely comes in handy!
As the name implies, they now feature touch sensitive controls. While it’s nice to have the ability to pause/play by double tapping the right earbud, as well as performing forward/reverse by double and triple tapping the left one, they’re not necessarily the most intuitive. We get having to tap once to perform a function, but double tapping to either pause/play seems like it’s more work. Adjusting the volume, however, is still all done locally through the connected device.
Thankfully, Rowkin has improved one of the most critical issues we had that plagued the previous model. And that’s connectivity! There’s no more dealing with dropped connections frequently, as they retain a solid connection. Furthermore, we’re ecstatic to also find that there are no latency issues whatsoever this time around. That means the audio is in sync to videos that are being played! And finally, the audio quality is rich in tone, offering a subtle amount of bass with the lows – while still doing a decent job with representing the mids. The highs, though, can be drowned out a bit.
Sporting the same price as before at $129.99, it’s a true wireless solution that doesn’t break the bank like some other models. In fact, it undercuts many of the popular ones out there!
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