Fair or not, Apple has made its AirPods the default choice for most iPhone owners who casually purchase a new pair of wireless headphones. But if you're one of the many people using an Android phone, the options worth considering aren't so obvious. Fortunately, we are here to help. We've tested and reviewed dozens of wireless earbuds over the years, and below we've broken down our favorite options for Android users. Whether you use a Galaxy phone or a Pixel, and if you want something for the gym or your morning commute, these are the best AirPods alternatives for Android.
What to look for in wireless headphones for Android devices
For the most part, the features you want from a set of “Android headphones” are the same ones you want from any headphones. Pleasant sound quality, a comfortable fit and sufficient battery life remain the mainstays. Adequate water resistance is good for exercising and no one wants a poor quality microphone for making calls. Once you get closer to the $100 range, features like active noise cancellation (ANC), wireless charging, an ambient sound mode (which lets you hear outside noise better without turning off the music), and multipoint connectivity (the ability to pairing with multiple devices simultaneously) should be expected.
Specifically for Android devices, there are a few extras to consider. A dedicated app is preferred that makes it easy to change sound modes, customize the audio profile, locate the headphones if they are ever lost, or adjust other settings. Features like Google Quick Pairing or NFC-based pairing, which can help you avoid having to search through the Bluetooth menu to connect your headphones for the first time, are also nice bonuses. Some Android devices may also use higher quality Bluetooth codecs, such as aptX adaptive or from Sony LDAC – these aren't as important to audio quality as the actual architecture of your headphones, but they can help extract a little more detail if the headphones are capable enough and you're streaming lossless files. AptX Adaptive can also help reduce latency, which is good for video streaming or gaming.
Diversity is Android's greatest strength, but it also means that some wireless earbuds work better with certain devices, usually those made by the same company. Recent Samsung headphones, for example, come with some perks that are only available if you use a Galaxy phone. We have a couple of recommendations related to this idea above.
