BeatsX vs. Beats Solo 3 Wireless: Which should you buy?

A quick breakdown

Given that both these headphones are made by Beats and have Apple's W1 chip inside, the similarities far out way the differences. The Beats X and Beats Solo3 both have that signature bass-heavy sound that the brand is known for, and both products are designed to work hand-in-hand with your iPhone, iPad, and other Apple devices.

The few key differences between these two products really come down to style preference. The BeatsX are customizable in-ear headphones that fit like a glove, whereas the Beats Solo3's are on-ear headphones that sit on your head with slightly adjustable, but plushy and comfortable ear cushions.

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Header Cell - Column 0 BeatsXBeats Solo3 Wireless
Price$100$300
StyleIn-earOn-ear
Battery life8 hours40 hours
Fast Fuel5 mins = 2 hours5 mins = 3 hours
Charge time45 minutes1.5 hours
Custom fitYesNo
Charging cableLightningmicroUSB
SiriSiri with RemoteTalkSiri with RemoteTalk
W1 connectionYes, after power onYes, after power on

You can see in the table above that battery-life is a huge difference as well. The Beats Solo3 have a massive 40-hour quoted battery life that will keep you rocking for a long time between charges, and the Fast Fuel allows you to get up to three hours of battery in just five minutes of charging.

That's not to say that the 8-hour battery life of the BeatsX is terrible, in fact, for in-ear headphones of its size and price range, eight hours is pretty great. Plus, the BeatsX charge with a lightning cable, which means you don't have to carry around a microUSB cable with you.

The good news is if you're looking for a pair of Beats headphones that have Apple's W1 chip, both the BeatsX and Beats Solo3 are fantastic options. Your biggest deciding factor will probably come down to which style of headphones you prefer, and also if you want any amount of noise cancellation. The Beats Solo3 lack any noise isolation, which is unfortunate, while the BeatsX come with decent noise isolation. Neither offers complete noise-cancellation, but some might be better than none, depending on your preference.

Luke Filipowicz
Staff Writer

Luke Filipowicz has been a writer at iMore, covering Apple for nearly a decade now. He writes a lot about Apple Watch and iPad but covers the iPhone and Mac as well. He often describes himself as an "Apple user on a budget" and firmly believes that great technology can be affordable if you know where to look. Luke also heads up the iMore Show — a weekly podcast focusing on Apple news, rumors, and products but likes to have some fun along the way. 


Luke knows he spends more time on Twitter than he probably should, so feel free to follow him or give him a shout on social media @LukeFilipowicz.