HMD has just announced a pair of wireless earbuds that can add some battery juice to your phone, acting like a tiny power bank. At MWC 2025 in Barcelona, the Finnish company has showcased the HMD Amped Buds, sporting a unique hinge on the earpiece and a bunch of other audio goodies, as well.
The charging case looks rather sleek, featuring an aluminum alloy shell and colorful matte coat on top. Tipping the scales at just 80 grams (2.82 ounces), the charging case also offers IPX4-level splash resistance and comes equipped with a 1,600mAh battery.
HMD claims that the case offers enough electrochemical juice to provide an extra 20% battery top-up to an iPhone 16 Pro in wireless mode, and up to a 24% lift when connected via USB-C cable.
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James Robinson now speaking about HMD Amped Buds
“…earbuds that do more than just sound amazing. Their sleek, ultra-thin charging case is also a backup battery—so when your phone is running low, just snap it on for extra power. No cables, no stress—just a quick battery boost… pic.twitter.com/GFk34KYXsR
— HMD (@HMDdevices) March 2, 2025
The Qi2-ready earbuds case attaches magnetically to compatible smartphones and iPhones with MagSafe support. HMD says the Amped Buds’ charging case will also work just fine with protective cases that have a magnetic ring, and virtually any smartphone out there that allows wireless charging.
This won’t be the first attempt of its kind, however. Multiple lesser-known brands have offered wireless earbuds that essentially serve a power bank in the form of a charging case. The erstwhile Nokia brand fitted wireless earbuds in one of its feature phones, while Huawei served earbuds fitted inside a smartwatch.
Coming back to the HMD Amped Buds, these IP54-rated wireless earbuds rely on a flexible hinge design to maximize the in-ear fit. Audio output is handled by 10mm drivers and they also allow EQ customization within a standalone app that is compatible with Android and iOS.
For noise isolation, these earbuds offer hybrid ANC and ENC using a triple-mic array on each side. On the connectivity front, the HMD earbuds serve support for Google Fast pair and multi-device pairing for up to two machines.
The Amped Buds are claimed to last for up to 4 hours with hybrid ANC enabled, while in regular listening mode, they can go up to 8 hours per charge. With the charging case fully topped up, the total listening time goes up to 95 hours.
HMD’s approach is rather ingenious, as it focuses on delivering some last mile juice to smartphones at the end of the day. The HMD Amped Buds are set to launch in April carrying a sticker price of EUR 199, but there’s no word on their stateside availability.
It is worth noting here that the idea of wireless power transfer between a phone and earbuds case isn’t exactly novel. For years, I’ve charged my wireless earbuds by placing it atop my Samsung smartphones, thanks to support for reverse wireless power sharing.
Other brands, such as Xiaomi and Nothing, also offer the convenience. Apple is an outlier, despite being a pioneer in the industry and having the fundamental stack ready on iPhones and higher-end AirPods.