Anker wireless earbuds P30i

Best use cases

On a commute or during a bit of downtime, wireless earbuds with noise cancelling can make it easier to focus on a podcast or music without shutting out everything around you. The Anker soundcore P30i pairs adaptive active noise cancelling with a transparency mode, so you can switch between reducing outside sound and letting more of it through.

The charging case doubles as a phone stand. Open its back panel, set your phone on it and watch a show hands-free while travelling. It’s a useful extra if you often watch on your phone, though it won’t matter much if you mainly listen with your screen away.

Product specs

The P30i has 10mm drivers and soundcore’s BassUp technology, aimed at a deeper, punchier sound. Its adaptive noise cancelling is described as reducing noise by up to 42dB, that’s a stated maximum, not a guarantee of the same result in every setting. Transparency mode offers a way to hear more of your surroundings when needed.

The listed battery life is up to 10 hours from a single charge, or up to 45 hours with the charging case. A 10-minute quick charge is stated to provide 2 hours of playtime. Other listed details include Bluetooth 5.4, app control, an IP54 rating and a pink finish. The battery figures include the case for the longer total, so frequent listening between charges is worth factoring into your choice.

Where it shines

The appeal here is the combination of listening features and a case with a second job. For example, you could use noise cancelling for music on a journey, switch to transparency when you need to hear what’s happening nearby, then prop up your phone with the case for a programme during a break. Would a regular charging case do the same for you? If you rarely watch video on your phone, the stand may be more of a bonus than a reason to choose these earbuds.

The bass-focused tuning is likely to suit listeners who want weightier low frequencies, while the app control gives you another way to manage the earbuds. There’s no detail here about specific app settings or sound customisation, so don’t choose them on the assumption that a particular adjustment is available. They also offer a different proposition from simpler earbuds with no active noise cancelling or phone stand: more features, but not necessarily useful ones for every listener.

It suits you if you want adaptive noise cancelling, a transparency mode and a case that can prop up your phone. It is not for you if you want a neutral-sounding set, or if the stand and noise-control options would go unused.

Final decision

Choose the P30i if its bass-led sound, listed battery life and travel-friendly phone stand match how you listen and watch. The concrete trade-off is that the case’s extra function adds little value if you don’t watch content on your phone, while the stated noise reduction and battery life shouldn’t be treated as identical results in every situation. For a more basic listening setup, earbuds without these added features may make more sense.