Nokia Clarity Earbuds. Pic: Noel Campion.
While Nokia is not as well-known for its audio products, it has a broad range that includes headphones, wired earphones and true wireless earbuds. I’ve been testing their budget-friendly Nokia Clarity earbuds which come in two variants — Clarity and Clarity Pro. The main difference between the two is that the Pro variant comes with active noise cancellation (ANC) while the standard variant does not.
Like so many Nokia products, the Clarity earbuds have an understated design with minimalistic lines and curves. The buds are a little bulky but have short stems like those found on the likes of AirPods Pro. Despite the large earpiece, I found them fairly comfortable with a good tight fit and seal.
The buds sport the Nokia logo in white, which stands out against the glossy plastic body. On the inside is a dark matte grey finish with silicone tips. There’s a choice of three different sized tips and I found the medium size worked best for me, but there’s not much passive noise isolation and no ANC.
The charging case has a soft silky finish in black with a glossy turquoise blue on the inside. The case is pebble-shaped is a little large than the norm but still very pocketable. It comes with the cable to charge it via the USB-C port on the bottom but it also features wireless charging.
The earbuds have large 10mm drivers and use Qualcomm cVc technology to reduce background noise during phone calls. This makes them ideal for taking calls in noisy environments like a busy cafe or office, but the lack of ANC or even decent passive noise isolation may be a dealbreaker for some users. There’s also a unique ring of light that acts as an indicator when making calls.
It’s great to see support for Bluetooth 5.2 for the improved latency and support for multiple devices and easy automatic switching between using both or just one bud for your calls.
You also get Qualcomm aptX HD audio support for phones that can take advantage of it and AAC for iOS. And, they come with IPX5 water and sweat resistance.
The Clarity earbuds feature touch controls for playback and volume. However, there’s no companion app to customise the controls, EQ or other features like the ability to update the firmware.
There’s also no wear detection which is not too surprising considering the budget-friendly price tag.
The Nokia Clarity Earbuds offer an impressive nine hours of playtime and 36 hours more with the charging case.
The sound quality is excellent but far from class-leading. The sound signature is well balanced with a decent bass response and clear highs.
The Nokia Clarity earbuds are a no-nonsense choice for those who want good sound, excellent battery life and don’t need ANC.
Nokia Clarity Earbuds €69.99 nokia.com
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