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  1. Table of Contents
  2. Top
  3. Main Differences
  4. Design
    1. Style
    2. Comfort
    3. Controls
    4. Breathability
    5. Portability
    6. Case
    7. Build Quality
    8. Stability
    9. Headshots 1
    10. Headshots 2
    11. Top
    12. In The Box
  5. Sound
    1. Sound Profile
    2. Frequency Response Consistency
    3. Raw Frequency Response
    4. Bass Accuracy
    5. Mid Accuracy
    6. Treble Accuracy
    7. Peaks/Dips
    8. Imaging
    9. Passive Soundstage
    10. Virtual Soundstage
    11. Weighted Harmonic Distortion
    12. Test Settings
  6. Isolation
    1. Noise Isolation
    2. Leakage
  7. Microphone
    1. Microphone Style
    2. Recording Quality
    3. Noise Handling
  8. Active Features
    1. Battery
    2. App Support
  9. Connectivity
    1. Bluetooth
    2. Non-Bluetooth Wireless
    3. Wired
    4. PC / PS4 Compatibility
    5. Xbox One Compatibility
    6. Base/Dock
  10. Comments

Apple AirPods (1st generation) Truly Wireless vs Samsung Gear IconX Truly Wireless

Side-by-Side Comparison

Products

Apple AirPods (1st generation)
Samsung Gear IconX Truly Wireless

Tested using Methodology v1.3.1

Updated Jan 15, 2024 03:46 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com

Tested using Methodology v1.4

Updated Jan 15, 2024 09:04 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Apple AirPods (1st generation) Truly Wireless Picture
Samsung Gear IconX Truly Wireless Picture

Variants

  • AirPods (1st generation) (White)
  • Gear IconX (Black)
  • Gear IconX (Grey)
  • Gear IconX (Pink)

Our Verdict

Apple AirPods (1st generation) Truly Wireless

Samsung Gear IconX Truly Wireless

The Samsung Gear IconX Truly Wireless are a much better truly wireless headset than the Apple AirPods (1st generation) Truly Wireless. The Samsung have an in-ear fit that isolates better in noisy conditions and produces more bass than the Apple thanks to the better seal they create in your ear. The Samsung also have a dedicated app that gives them access to a preset equalizer, sports data, and a built-in coach to keep track of your progress, whereas the Apple feel lacking in features. The Samsung also have 4GB of onboard storage. On the upside, the Apple are better integrated into the iOS platforms, which gives them a few advantages over the Samsung if you have a lot of Apple devices already. They also have a much longer 25-hour battery life than the Samsung and a more stable and reliable connection with less latency, especially on iOS devices.

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Main Differences for
Mixed Usage

Threshold 

0.10

Mixed Usage 

6.4
7.2

Noise Isolation 
 

1.3
7.5

Full Comparison

Design

Style  

Design Picture 2  

Apple AirPods (1st generation) Truly Wireless Design Picture 2
Samsung Gear IconX Truly Wireless Design Picture 2

Type  

Earbuds
In-ear

Enclosure  

Open-Back
Closed-Back

Wireless  

Truly Wireless
Truly Wireless

Transducer  

Dynamic
Dynamic
Show Text 

Comfort 
 

8.0
7.5

Comfort Picture  

Apple AirPods (1st generation) Truly Wireless Comfort Picture
Samsung Gear IconX Truly Wireless Comfort Picture

Weight  

0.02 lbs
0.03 lbs

Clamping Force 
 

0 lbs
0 lbs
Show Text 

Controls 
 

4.7
6.3

Controls Picture  

Apple AirPods (1st generation) Truly Wireless Controls Picture
Samsung Gear IconX Truly Wireless Controls Picture

OS Compatibility 
 

N/A
Not OS specific

Ease Of Use  

Subpar
Okay

Feedback  

Subpar
Okay

Call/Music Control  

Yes
Yes

Volume Control  

No
Yes

Microphone Control  

No
No

Channel Mixing 
 

N/A
No

Noise Cancelling Control  

N/A
No

Talk-Through 
 

N/A
No

Additional Controls  

Voice enabled controls
Voice Assistant
Show Text 

Breathability 
 

9.6
9.0

Breathability After Picture  

Apple AirPods (1st generation) Truly Wireless Breathability After Picture
Samsung Gear IconX Truly Wireless Breathability After Picture

Avg.Temp.Difference  

0.4 °C
1 °C
Show Text 

Portability 
 

9.6
9.4

Portability Picture  

Apple AirPods (1st generation) Truly Wireless Portability Picture
Samsung Gear IconX Truly Wireless Portability Picture

 

1.72"
1.5"

 

1"
1.2"

 

0.6"
0.7"

Volume  

1.03 in³
1.6 in³

Transmitter Required  

N/A
No
Show Text 

Case 
 

8.5
8.0

Case Picture  

Apple AirPods (1st generation) Truly Wireless Case Picture
Samsung Gear IconX Truly Wireless Case Picture

Type  

Hard case
Hard case

 

2.06"
2.8"

 

1.69"
1.5"

 

0.74"
0.9"

Volume  

2.58 in³
4.5 in³
Show Text 

Build Quality 
 

8.0
7.0

Build Quality Picture  

Apple AirPods (1st generation) Truly Wireless Build Quality Picture
Samsung Gear IconX Truly Wireless Build Quality Picture
Show Text 

Stability 
 

6.5
8.0

Stability Picture  

Apple AirPods (1st generation) Truly Wireless Stability Picture
Samsung Gear IconX Truly Wireless Stability Picture
Show Text 

Headshots 1  

Angled Picture  

Apple AirPods (1st generation) Truly Wireless Angled Picture
Samsung Gear IconX Truly Wireless Angled Picture

Side Picture  

Apple AirPods (1st generation) Truly Wireless Side Picture
Samsung Gear IconX Truly Wireless Side Picture

Headshots 2  

Front Picture  

Apple AirPods (1st generation) Truly Wireless Front Picture
Samsung Gear IconX Truly Wireless Front Picture

Rear Picture  

Apple AirPods (1st generation) Truly Wireless Rear Picture
Samsung Gear IconX Truly Wireless Rear Picture

Top  

Top Picture  

Apple AirPods (1st generation) Truly Wireless Top Picture
Samsung Gear IconX Truly Wireless Top Picture

In The Box  

In The Box Picture  

Apple AirPods (1st generation) Truly Wireless In The Box Picture
Samsung Gear IconX Truly Wireless In The Box Picture
Show Text 
Sound

Sound Profile 
 

Frequency Response  

See details on graph tool

Frequency Response  

See details on graph tool

Bass Amount 
 

-7.73 dB
-0.58 dB

Treble Amount 
 

0.61 dB
-2.11 dB

Frequency Response Consistency 
 

6.4
8.6

Consistency L  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Consistency R  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Avg. Std. Deviation 
 

0.8 dB
0.28 dB
Show Text 

Raw Frequency Response 
 

Raw FR L  

See details on graph tool

Raw FR L  

See details on graph tool

Raw FR R  

See details on graph tool

Raw FR R  

See details on graph tool

Bass Accuracy 
 

6.0
8.3

Bass  

See details on graph tool

Bass  

See details on graph tool

Std. Err. 
 

5.27 dB
2.27 dB

Low-Frequency Extension 
 

64.42 Hz
46.21 Hz

Low-Bass 
 

-10.94 dB
-3.43 dB

Mid-Bass 
 

-0.79 dB
0.63 dB

High-Bass 
 

1.62 dB
2.7 dB
Show Text 

Mid Accuracy 
 

7.9
8.9

Mid  

See details on graph tool

Mid  

See details on graph tool

Std. Err. 
 

2.78 dB
1.46 dB

Low-Mid 
 

1.7 dB
1.01 dB

Mid-Mid 
 

0.55 dB
-1.85 dB

High-Mid 
 

3.62 dB
-0.05 dB
Show Text 

Treble Accuracy 
 

7.2
7.4

Treble  

See details on graph tool

Treble  

See details on graph tool

Std. Err. 
 

4.18 dB
3.45 dB

Low-Treble 
 

4.46 dB
-2.14 dB

Mid-Treble 
 

4.26 dB
-2.37 dB

High-Treble 
 

0.57 dB
-5.32 dB
Show Text 

Peaks/Dips 
 

7.3
8.0

Peaks/Dips Graph  

See details on graph tool

Peaks/Dips Graph  

See details on graph tool

Peaks 
 

1.83 dB
1.19 dB

Dips 
 

1.13 dB
1.18 dB

Imaging 
 

8.4
9.1

Group Delay  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Phase Response  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Weighted Group Delay 
 

0.31
0.1

Weighted Amplitude Mismatch 
 

1.04
0.46

Weighted Frequency Mismatch 
 

1.5
1.23

Weighted Phase Mismatch 
 

5.76
2.54
Show Text 

Passive Soundstage 
 

2.6
0.7

PRTF  

Apple AirPods (1st generation) Truly Wireless PRTF
Samsung Gear IconX Truly Wireless PRTF

PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.) 
 

N/A
N/A

PRTF Size (Avg.) 
 

N/A
N/A

PRTF Distance 
 

N/A
N/A

Openness 
 

9.7
2.5

Acoustic Space Excitation 
 

3.4
0.6
Show Text 

Virtual Soundstage 
 

0.0

Virtual Soundstage  

Samsung Gear IconX Truly Wireless Virtual Soundstage

Head Modeling 
 

No

Speaker Modeling 
 

No

Room Ambience 
 

No

Head Tracking 
 

No

Virtual Surround 
 

No

Weighted Harmonic Distortion 
 

7.9
7.9

Weighted Harmonic Distortion  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

WHD @ 90 
 

0.177
0.213

WHD @ 100 
 

0.128
0.117

Test Settings 
 

Firmware 
 

Unknown

Power 
 

On

Connection 
 

Unknown

Codec 
 

SBC, 16-bit, 48kHz

EQ 
 

Off

ANC 
 

No ANC

Tip/Pad 
 

Silicone (small)

Microphone 
 

Integrated
Isolation

Noise Isolation 
 

1.3
7.5

Noise Isolation  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Isolation Audio 
 

Overall Attenuation 
 

-2.64 dB
-22.45 dB

Noise Cancelling  

No
No

Bass 
 

-0.01 dB
-6.74 dB

Mid 
 

1.1 dB
-20.44 dB

Treble 
 

-8.72 dB
-41.42 dB
Show Text 

Leakage 
 

7.3
9.5

Leakage  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Leakage Audio 
 

Overall Leakage @ 1ft 
 

37.73 dB
23.96 dB
Show Text 
Microphone

Microphone Style 
 

Integrated 
 

Yes
Yes

In-Line 
 

No
No

Boom 
 

No
No

Detachable Boom 
 

N/A
No

Mic  

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

Recording Quality 
 

6.2
5.7

Microphone Frequency Response  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Recorded Speech 
 

LFE 
 

354.04 Hz
493.51 Hz

FR Std. Dev. 
 

2.83 dB
3.48 dB

HFE 
 

3,368.2 Hz
3,319.91 Hz

Weighted THD 
 

31.268
5.721

Gain 
 

28.6 dB
40.58 dB
Show Text 

Noise Handling 
 

6.2
6.0

SpNR  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Speech + Pink Noise  

Speech + Subway Noise  

SpNR 
 

14.85 dB
11.32 dB
Show Text 
Active Features

Battery 
 

7.1
6.3

Battery Type 
 

Rechargable
Rechargable

Continuous Battery Life 
 

4.8 hrs
4.6 hrs

Additional Charges 
 

5
1.0

Total Battery Life 
 

27 hrs
9.2 hrs

Charge Time 
 

0.5 hrs
1.1 hrs

Power-Saving Feature 
 

Yes
Standby mode

Audio While Charging 
 

Yes
Yes

Passive Playback 
 

No
No

Charging Port  

Lightning
USB-C
Show Text 

App Support 
 

5.5
7.0

App Picture  

Apple AirPods (1st generation) Truly Wireless App Picture
Samsung Gear IconX Truly Wireless App Picture

App Name  

N/A
Samsung Gear

iOS  

Yes
No

Android  

No
Yes

macOS  

N/A
No

Windows  

N/A
No

Equalizer 
 

No
Presets

ANC Control 
 

No
No

Mic Control  

N/A
No

Room Effects 
 

No
No

Playback Control 
 

No
Yes

Button Mapping  

Yes
No

Surround Sound  

N/A

Surround Support 
 

No
Show Text 
Connectivity

Bluetooth 
 

6.9
6.6

Bluetooth Version 
 

4.2 + W1 chip
4.2

Multi-Device Pairing 
 

No
No

NFC Pairing 
 

No
No

Line Of Sight Range 
 

91 ft
89 ft

PC Latency (SBC) 
 

168 ms
280 ms

PC Latency (aptX) 
 

N/A
N/A

PC Latency (aptX HD) 
 

N/A

PC Latency (aptX-LL) 
 

N/A
N/A

iOS Latency 
 

71 ms

Android Latency 
 

139 ms
Show Text 

Non-Bluetooth Wireless 
 

0.0
0.0

Non-BT Line Of Sight Range 
 

N/A
N/A

Non-BT Latency 
 

N/A
N/A

Wired 
 

0.0
0.0

Cable Picture  

Apple AirPods (1st generation) Truly Wireless Cable Picture
Samsung Gear IconX Truly Wireless Cable Picture

Analog Audio 
 

N/A
No

USB Audio 
 

N/A
No

Detachable  

N/A
No

Length  

N/A
N/A

Connection  

N/A
No Wired Option

Wired Latency 
 

N/A

Analog/USB Audio Latency 
 

N/A
Show Text 

PC / PS4 Compatibility 
 

PC/PS4 Analog 
 

No
No

PC/PS4 Wired USB 
 

No
No

PC/PS4 Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No

Xbox One Compatibility 
 

Xbox One Analog 
 

No
No

Xbox One Wired USB 
 

No
No

Xbox One Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No

Base/Dock 
 

2.2
2.2

Type 
 

Charging Case
Charging Case

USB Input 
 

No
No

Line In 
 

No
No

Line Out 
 

No
No

Optical Input 
 

No
No

RCA Input 
 

No
No

Dock Charging 
 

Yes
Yes

Power Supply 
 

Lightning
USB-C
Show Text 

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AirPods (1st generation)
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Gear IconX
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Apple AirPods (1st generation) Truly Wireless

Samsung Gear IconX Truly Wireless

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Apple AirPods (1st generation) vs Samsung Gear IconX Truly Wireless: Main Discussion

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