The Surface Earbuds launched in 2019 as Microsoft’s attempt at an AirPods alternative. If yours are still hanging around, you might want to check on them. Some buyers who haven’t used their headphones in a few months report that the Surface devices refuse to charge.
As spotted by Windows Central, some Surface Earbuds appear to stop working after long periods without a charge. The publication tried three pairs of Surface Earbuds; two hadn’t been used for over a year, while a third pair was an eBay purchase from someone who also hadn’t used them lately. All three pairs were unable to recharge.
Similar reports have cropped up on forums and Reddit in recent years, with users saying that their headphones refused to charge after six months or so. Many of the reports say the charging case will flash with a red light when you plug it in, while others found there’s no light at all.
It’s unclear exactly what the issue is here, but it appears to be connected to the battery. PCMag reached out to Microsoft for comment.
Microsoft hasn’t updated its Surface Earbuds since it stopped selling them in 2022. The company only gave its headphones two firmware updates before retiring them from its lineup. The headphones weren’t particularly popular, so it’s unlikely we’ll see a follow-up to the Surface Earbuds anytime soon.
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PCMag’s original review of the Surface Earbuds gave them a score of three out of five. “The true wireless Microsoft Surface Earbuds are cool to look at, but they offer inconsistent audio performance for the price,” we found. They also cost $200, which was expensive at the time.
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About James Peckham
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