Fair or not, Apple has turned its AirPods into the default choice for most iPhone owners in the market for new wireless earbuds. If you’re one of the millions who have an Android phone, though, figuring out what set to grab isn’t as obvious. If you need a hand, allow us to point you in the right direction. We’ve tested and reviewed dozens of wireless earbuds over the years and broken down our favorite options for Android users below. Whether you use a Galaxy or a Pixel phone, and whether you want something for the gym or your morning commute, here are the best Android earbuds you can get.
Best Android earbuds for 2025
Photo by Billy Steele / Engadget
Read our full Sony WF-1000XM5 review
The Sony WF-1000XM5 hit on just about everything we want from a premium set of wireless earbuds. Their small, rounded design should feel comfortable and secure in most ears. They’re nearly unmatched at muting outside noise, thanks to a powerful ANC feature and memory foam eartips that do a remarkable job of isolating sound passively. They sound great out of the box, especially if you like a warmer profile with elevated bass, but you can easily customize the EQ curve through Sony’s app, and they do well to draw out treble-range detail either way. They’re also loaded with extra features, including multipoint connectivity, Google Fast Pair, LDAC and spatial audio support, the ability to swap between ANC and ambient sound modes automatically and more. The wireless charging case is conveniently tiny, while the eight- to 12-hour battery life gives little to complain about.
Still, the XM5s still aren’t a total slam dunk. The built-in mics aren’t the clearest for phone calls. The IPX4 water-resistance rating could be higher. Some people might find the memory foam eartips a little too full-feeling. They also cost $300, which is far from affordable. But no other wireless earbuds we’ve tested have managed to tick so many boxes.
- Strong, customizable audio quality
- Should be comfortable to most
- Loads of handy bonus features
- Expensive
- Memory foam eartips aren’t for everyone
- No battery life improvement over predecessor
What to look for in wireless earbuds for Android devices
For the most part, the features you want from a set of “Android earbuds” are the same as what you want from any headphones. Pleasing sound quality, a comfortable fit and sufficient battery life are still the foundations. Adequate water resistance is good for workouts, and nobody wants a crummy mic for making calls. Once you approach the $100 range, features like active noise cancellation (ANC), wireless charging, an ambient sound mode (which lets you better hear outside noise without turning off your music) and multipoint connectivity (the ability to pair with multiple devices simultaneously) should be expected.
For Android devices specifically, there are a few extras to consider. A dedicated app that makes it easy to switch sound modes, customize the audio profile, locate your earbuds if they ever get misplaced or adjust other settings is strongly preferred. Features like Google Fast Pair or NFC-based pairing, which can help you avoid having to dig through your Bluetooth menu to connect your earbuds for the first time, are also nice perks. Some Android devices can also utilize higher-quality Bluetooth codecs such as aptX Adaptive or Sony’s LDAC — these aren’t nearly as important to audio quality as the actual architecture of your earbuds, but they can help wring out a little more detail if the buds are capable enough and you’re streaming lossless files. AptX Adaptive can also help reduce latency, which is good for streaming video or gaming.
Diversity is Android’s greatest strength, but it also means that some wireless earbuds play nicer with certain devices, typically those made by the same company. Recent Samsung earbuds, for instance, come with a few perks that are only available if you use a Galaxy phone. We have a couple of recommendations related to this idea above.
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