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Jabra’s Elite 2 budget earbuds are real, but you can’t buy them yet

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Last week, Jabra announced a trio of new true wireless earbuds under its Elite range, including the Elite 3, Elite 7 Pro, and Elite 7 Active. And while the Elite 3 were especially notable for their price — at $79 they’re the most affordable true wireless earbuds the company has ever released — an even more affordable model is likely coming soon: The Jabra Elite 2. The company quietly launched the model at the same time as the other new Elite models, but it appears to be reserving the Elite 2 for non-U.S. markets like India, China, Russia, Eastern Europe, and Turkey for now.

“These are true wireless earbuds currently launched in select markets worldwide,” a Jabra representative told Digital Trends. “They offer powerful sound with 6mm speakers, customizable EQ, and noise-isolating design. They also have 2 mics for clear calls with Alexa Built-in, one-touch Spotify playback, and Google Fast Pair for Android users.”

Jabra Elite 2 true wireless earbuds.
Jabra

In other words, they sound a lot like the Elite 3. And though they share the same shape as the Elite 3, there are some important differences:

  • The Elite 3 feature two microphones per earbud, whereas the Elite 2 only have a single mic on each bud.
  • Battery life on the Elite 3 is seven hours per charge and an additional 21 hours in their case.  The Elite 2’s case only carries 14 hours of extra life.
  • The Elite 3 offer hear-through mode to let outside sounds in. They also feature sidetone, so you can hear your own voice more clearly when on calls. The Elite 2 lack both of these features.
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These differences aside, the Elite 2 still have several appealing aspects, including an ergonomic shape, Jabra’s 6mm drivers (the same ones as the Elite 3), and the same compact charging case. They also possess the same IP55 protection from water and dust, making them ideal for workouts or running in rainy conditions. Somewhat surprisingly, they also have Qualcomm’s aptX Bluetooth codec for higher-quality wireless sound when used with a compatible Android phone (iPhones do not support aptX).

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At $79, the Elite 3 are already very affordable for a set of Jabra earbuds, but the entire true wireless earbud market is trending downward in price, even as features continue to be added. One might expect that given the reduced number of features on the Elite 2, they would sell for a substantially reduced price, perhaps in the $50 to $60 price range, making them very attractive to anyone who wants a set of earbuds from a highly respected company at a very low price. And indeed, Jabra says the Elite 2 will sell for between $49-59 U.S. dollars in their respective markets.

However, Lowyat.net reports that Jabra has set the price for the Elite 2 at 299 Malaysian ringgits, which is currently the equivalent of $72 U.S. dollars — hardly a huge savings.

When and if the Elite 2 will actually be announced for the U.S. market is still unknown, but we’ll be sure to bring you all of the details as they become available.

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Simon Cohen
Simon Cohen
Contributing Editor, A/V
Simon Cohen covers a variety of consumer technologies, but has a special interest in audio and video products, like spatial…
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