Microsoft's futuristic-looking Surface Earbuds provide good sound and long battery life and come in a pocketable case but given the competition they are up against, their launch price of $199.99 was hard to digest. Amazon is currently selling them for half the price and this makes them worth a look.The Surface Earbuds are not an Apple AirPods wannabe and have a distinct design with large touch-sensitive circular panels for controlling them. They are great at recognizing touches with accuracy, but lack remappable controls.Like the AirPods, these don't seal to the ear but are great for anyone looking for open-type earbuds that stay in place. They feature rubberized ear tips with a small wing extension which ensure a secure fit. They are also more comfortable than some of the best earbuds around.

The buds don't really block out environmental sounds, which could be great if you like to be aware of your surroundings at all times instead of completely tuning out everyone.

They also sound good and the microphone quality is reasonably good. For connectivity, they use Bluetooth 5.0 but Bluetooth multipoint or fast switching is not supported.

Office goers and students can also use the Surface Earbuds to dictate documents through Microsoft apps like Word and the hearables can also be used to generate real-time captions and subtitles during a PowerPoint presentation.

The buds have a fantastic build quality and are rated IPX4 water resistant. They come in a compact, pill-shaped charging case with a USB-C port.

The Surface Earbuds can last up to eight hours and the case offers two additional refills. It takes an hour to charge the case, but just ten minutes are enough for one hour of playback.

Now that Amazon has discounted the Surface Earbuds by 50 percent, they can be yours for just $99.99 and this is a great price for them. Sure, they don't come with extras such as noise cancelation, but if you need the basics and comfort, these are your best bet.

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