You make an interesting point about the battery life that I haven't heard anyone make before. I don't think that's enough to save these earbuds, though. 18 hours on a single charge is obviously excellent. But that comes at the cost of everything you're not getting (ANC, transparency mode, hi-res codecs, wireless charging, etc.). And if the sound quality is pretty mediocre, how much are you going to want to listen to them, anyway? The lack of any EQ options for these make them a hard sell. I could see if the sound wasn't the best out of the box, but you could adjust them, but without an EQ option, you're stuck with whatever sound you get out of the box. And without any kind of IP rating, as you said, they're not safe for the gym or any kind of wet weather. I think you're right: These are for Beats fans who simply want to be seen with Beats products in their ears. I think if they were made by any other company, that company would struggle to sell them at $30, given the competition out there.
You make an interesting point about the battery life that I haven't heard anyone make before. I don't think that's enough to save these earbuds, though.
18 hours on a single charge is obviously excellent. But that comes at the cost of everything you're not getting (ANC, transparency mode, hi-res codecs, wireless charging, etc.). And if the sound quality is pretty mediocre, how much are you going to want to listen to them, anyway? The lack of any EQ options for these make them a hard sell. I could see if the sound wasn't the best out of the box, but you could adjust them, but without an EQ option, you're stuck with whatever sound you get out of the box. And without any kind of IP rating, as you said, they're not safe for the gym or any kind of wet weather.
I think you're right: These are for Beats fans who simply want to be seen with Beats products in their ears. I think if they were made by any other company, that company would struggle to sell them at $30, given the competition out there.