Xiaomi’s new earbuds are five times cheaper than AirPods Pro, with ANC included

These £40 Redmi earbuds have ANC, Hi-Res audio, and no premium pricing

By Vikhyaat Vivek Published June 22, 2026 3:39 AM

Redmi Buds 8 — Xiaomi

Xiaomi’s latest budget earbuds are rolling out beyond Asia, and as always, the brand is bringing great specs for an accessible price tag. The Redmi Buds 8 are now available in more global markets, including the UK and Germany. Xiaomi lists them for £40 in the UK and €50 in Germany, with an official German MSRP of €60 once the launch offer ends.

In comparison, Apple’s AirPods Pro 3 cost £219 in the UK, which makes them more than five times as expensive as Xiaomi’s new earbuds. While the AirPods do bring deeper ecosystem features and advanced health features, the Redmi Buds 8 are an affordable alternative for earbuds with ANC.

ANC and Hi-Res audio on a budget

The Redmi Buds 8 include active noise cancellation rated up to 50dB, with Xiaomi also claiming a noise-canceling range of up to 4kHz. There are three adaptive ANC levels, plus three transparency modes for letting outside sound in when needed. Sound is handled by 11mm dynamic drivers, with Hi-Res Audio Wireless and LHDC codec support. It is worth noting that LHDC requires a firmware update and a compatible device. Xiaomi also includes five EQ presets, custom EQ support, and Sound ID personalization based on a hearing test, though some features depend on Xiaomi or HyperOS devices.

Strong battery life

Battery life is rated at up to 11 hours from the earbuds alone and 44 hours total with the charging case, with ANC switched off. With noise cancellation enabled, battery life drops to 6.5 hours for the earbuds and 28 hours in total. A 10-minute charge can deliver up to 4 hours of music playback, while the earbuds also support dual-device connection, Google Fast Pair, sound-based earbud finding, Bluetooth 5.4, and IP54 dust and water resistance.

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At this price, the Redmi Buds 8 are not pretending to replace AirPods Pro. But it is a great choice for those who want ANC, long battery life, and decent audio features without spending a lot. My recent experience with the Redmi Buds 8 Pro has proven that Xiaomi offers a reliable and affordable experience with their truly wireless earbuds, so hopefully, some of the same experience trickles down to the standard model.

Vikhyaat Vivek is a tech journalist and reviewer with seven years of experience covering consumer hardware, with a focus on…

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