More Than Just Earbuds: HMD’s Amped Buds Double as a Power Bank
Finnish mobile brand HMD made an appearance at this year’s MWC in Barcelona, unveiling a range of new products. Among the announcements, the highlight is the HMD Amped Buds, a unique combination of wireless noise-canceling earbuds and a slim power bank integrated into the case. The earbuds ship with a distinctive design and premium audio capabilities.
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Earbud Case That Doubles as a Power Bank
While most earbud charging cases are trending toward compact and transparent designs, HMD takes a different approach with the Amped Buds. The charging case doubles as a power bank and features a larger 1,600 mAh battery, which is three times the capacity of most standard charging cases, according to HMD.
Instead of the usual rounded or clamshell design, the case adopts a rectangular slab shape, resembling a tiny portable power bank that is comparable to a deck of cards. Despite the added battery capacity, it remains light and slim.
The case supports Qi2 and powers external devices via reverse wireless charging and includes a USB-C port for wired charging. Surprisingly, it also features magnets, making it compatible with Apple's MagSafe and select Android flagships. The case can be charged using the port or wirelessly.
The earbuds themselves offer 8.1 hours of playback per charge (4.9 hours with ANC enabled). With this case's battery size, HMD claims the case can provide the Amped Buds with 10.9x additional charges, bringing up to 95 hours running time.
When used as a power bank, it can wirelessly charge an iPhone 16 Pro by 20% wirelessly or 24% via a wired connection, providing a few extra hours of usage—handy for emergencies when you're away from a power source. However, compared to modern smartphones with 5,000 mAh batteries, the charging capacity remains limited. For example, it can charge the HMD Skyline with a 4,600 mAh battery by 13% wirelessly or 20% via cable.
HMD Amped Buds: ANC, ENC, and a Swiveling Design
The Amped Buds feature a somewhat bold and mechanical design, with elongated, oblong stems that resemble half a robot torso rather than traditional earbuds. This hinge allows them to fit sideways in the slab-style case while enabling some adjustability for a better ear fit.
However, after a brief hands-on experience at MWC, the snug fit might not be ideal—something we’d like to test further in a long-term review. On the durability front, the case is rated IPX4 for water resistance, while the earbuds have a tougher IP54 rating for dust and water resistance.
The Amped Buds support both ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) and ENC (Environmental Noise Cancellation). They come equipped with Snapdragon Sound, three microphones per bud, and 10 mm drivers. Other features include Bluetooth 5.4, touch controls on the stems, customizable equalizer settings via HMD's app, and Fast Pair compatibility for Android devices. The earbuds work with both Android and iOS.
The HMD Amped Buds are priced at €199 (~$207 US) in Europe and £179 in the UK. However, there is no word yet on a potential USA release date or pricing. They are available in Black, Cyan, and Pink color options.
What do you think of the HMD Amped Buds' dual-purpose design? Should more manufacturers integrate power bank functionality into earbud cases? Share your thoughts with us!
Source: HMD
