In this review, I tested out the Anker Soundcore P20i earbuds. Released in 2023, these retail for a budget-friendly £30/$30 and feature 10mm drivers plus up to 30 hours of total battery life. So far so good, but how do they perform?
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Anker Soundcore P20i Review: Summary
For this price, you might expect the earbuds to fall seriously short in one area or another. Whilst testing them, I actually found that they performed well across the board in their sound quality, features and design. They don’t do anything exceptional, though you wouldn’t expect them to at this price point. However, everything they promise, they do well. Sound quality is very good, they are lightweight, and you get all the essential features you will need to listen to music or podcasts wirelessly.
Continue reading for the full review.
Our rating: 8.2/10
Pros
- Excellent value for money
- Good clarity and bass
Cons
- The included ear tips aren’t the most comfortable.
Who are the Anker Soundcore P20i for?
I would recommend these for anyone looking for a basic set of earbuds for listening to music or podcasts. They tick all the boxes and provide great value for money at £30/$30.
Who are the Anker Soundcore P20i not for?
There isn’t anything major that would lead me to not recommend them. They are cheap earbuds so if you want more, you’ll need to pay more. Apart from that, they are a decent set of buds indeed.
Anker Soundcore P20i Review: In the Box
The earbuds come with the charging case, a USB-C cable, three sizes of ear tips, and an instruction booklet.
Design and Comfort
One of the first things I noticed about the P20i is just how lightweight they are. You pick them up and there’s barely anything to them.
Despite their low price and weight they don’t feel cheap. The plastic is smooth and sturdy. The case also has a sleek matte feel to it and is small and portable. The earbuds give a satisfying click when they are inserted into the case and the case itself feels durable.
The ear tips are a bit rubbery in your ear and to me felt a bit on the small side but that’s the only con for their comfort. There are three sizes included but the large I felt could be bigger.
Apart from that, I had no comfort issues whilst wearing them.
Features
I was immediately impressed with the feature list of the Soundcore P20i. For a cheap set of buds they have a lot going for them. They feature 10mm drivers and support Bluetooth 5.3.
You also get two microphones for taking calls. I tested the microphones and the recipient noted that they are as expected and perfectly adequate, nothing special but good enough.
There’s a lanyard on the case to help you attach it to your bag or a keyring if you would want to do this. However, the case itself is already pretty small and easily slips into a pocket so the lanyard, whilst a nice touch, doesn’t feel like a necessity.
The earbuds feature touch controls by tapping the buds on the Soundcore logo. Like most earbud touch controls, these are a little fiddly at first but once you get the knack for them they are easy to use. You can also change the controls in the Soundcore app to switch what happens when you tap, double tap or tap and hold the left or right earbud.
You can also change the EQ sound settings in the Soundcore app. This is a solid feature of the P20i because it does actually make quite a difference to the sound. You can choose from a variety of presets including “Soundcore Signature with Bass Boost” and “Flat”.
Are the Anker Soundcore P20i waterproof?
The P20i earbuds have an IPX5 waterproof rating, which means they can tolerate light water jets from any direction. Note that this does not include the case. I was impressed to see this on such an inexpensive set of earbuds, and it does give you extra piece of mind for wearing them in the rain or at the gym.
Battery Life
The Anker Soundcore P20i feature an impressive 10 hours of playtime in the buds, extended to 30 hours of playtime with the case.
They also feature fast charge, with a quick 10 minutes of charging giving you a whopping two hours of music time.
Overall, battery life is great on the P20i and I didn’t ever feel like it was an issue whilst testing them.
Sound Quality
The sound quality of these earbuds impressed me. The default sound signature has a slight bass and treble boost to it but the overall clarity of the sound is still good. They also have a slight dark colour to their signature and it works well for them.
I tested them with different genres including rock, rap, pop, spoken word and classical and they performed well for all of these uses.
As mentioned before, the Soundcore app is excellent and changing the EQ makes a surprising difference in the sound of the buds. Play around with it to find a sound you like. The “Soundcore Signature” EQ mode with bass boost enabled works well and makes music sound lively but not overbearing. “Flat” is also good if you want them to sound more neutral.
The bass quality is an area they excel: they manage to sound punchy without any boominess which is something that cheap earbuds typical suffer from. They’re fun and will suit a variety of preferences. The treble can perhaps sound a little chime-y and overstated but I’m nitpicking.
Anker Soundcore P20i Review: Overall Ratings
Comfort: 7.5/10
Features: 8.5/10
Sound Quality: 8.5/10
Our Rating: 8.2/10
Overall, the P20i work well as a general use set of cheap Bluetooth earbuds and I’d recommend them to anyone that wants to enjoy their music without breaking the bank. They punch above their price point in terms of their sound quality and the included Soundcore app compliments them perfectly.
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Click here to visit Soundcore’s site to see their full list of audio gear.