Belkin's new AirPods rivals will be hard to lose thanks to iPhone 'Find My' app integration

One of the best things about Apple’s AirPods and AirPods Pro is being able to find them with the iPhone and iPad's 'Find My' app – and now Belkin earbud owners can use the same app to find any earbuds that go astray. The new SoundForm Freedom true wireless earbuds are among the very first third-party earbuds that can take advantage of Apple’s Find My system.

If you’re not familiar with the Find My network, Apple describes it as “a crowdsourced network of hundreds of millions of Apple devices that can help users locate a missing iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch” and third-party devices too. It uses Bluetooth to locate missing kit and tell you where to find it. 

• MaskFone is here to solve that one big problem with your face mask
• Apple AirPods Pro look overweight compared to these new true wireless buds

Find My was an Apple-only system until 2020, but Apple opened it up in iOS 14. Some industry watchers suggest that the move was to fend off any possible anti-trust action by Tile when Apple launches its Find My-compatible AirTags later this year.

Here’s what Belkin has to say about it: “The new True Wireless Earbuds are also built with finding capabilities through Apple’s Find My network, an advanced crowdsourced finding network with uncompromising privacy built-in, that will allow customers to use the Find My app to locate them in case they are lost or stolen.”

What about the sound?

Find My is the headline feature, but there are plenty other reasons to the Belkin SoundForm Freedom earbuds should catch your eye. They have custom-designed ear tips in three sizes for a perfect seal and noise isolation, IPX5 rating for sweat and splash resistance and in-case wireless charging via any Qi wireless charger or via a USB-C port. 15 minutes of charging provides two hours of feedback and you can expect eight hours of battery for each earbud and an extra 20 from the case.

What about the sound? We haven’t heard them yet – the Belkin SoundForm release date is March or April 2021 – but Belkin earbuds have previously appeared in our best cheap headphones guide where we remarked on how good they sounded, so we’re looking forward to trying them out. Belkin promises that its custom drivers will deliver powerful bass and exceptional clarity as well as the best possible call quality thanks to Advanced Environmental Noise Cancellation, which promises to reduce background noise when using the mic.

With an price of $99.99 / £129.99, the SoundForm Freedom could be a strong contender in our best true wireless earbuds category.