HMD's new earbuds can also charge your phone

Alex Choros - Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor

Last updated 03 March 2025

HMD's new wireless earbuds double as a power bank. Dubbed the Amped Buds, the charging case will not only top up the earbuds themselves, but other devices too thanks to the 1,600mAh battery.

The Amped Buds case can be used to wirelessly charge a phone that has Qi2. This means it can magnetically clip to Qi2 capable phones, as well as iPhones with MagSafe. Alternatively, it can be used as a traditional power bank via a USB-C cable. HMD says the 1,600mAh battery is enough to give an iPhone 16 up to 24% more charge.

If you're not interested in using the Amped Buds as a power bank, the hefty battery means the earbuds themselves can get up to 95 hours of play time before you need to recharge the case. Each earbud will last up to eight hours per charge with noise cancelling off, or four hours with noise cancelling on.

The earbuds are rated IP54 for splash resistance, and support Google Fast Pair and multi-point.

HMD has confirmed the Amped Buds will launch in Australia later this year, in a choice of black, cyan, and pink. A time frame has yet to be set, however, and local pricing is unknown. It wouldn't be surprising to see them retail for around $349 based on international prices.

HMD also announced the Fusion X1, an Android phone that will ship with integrated parental controls. The device comes with an Xplora subscription which allows parents to track their kids, block or limit certain apps, low battery alerts, and even remote device access. It's not clear how long the subscription will be valid for.

Key specifications for the HMD Fusion X1 include a 6.56-inch 720p+ display with a 90Hz refresh rate, a Snapdragon 4 Gen 2, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and a 5,000mAh battery. On the camera front, there's a 108MP primary lens, 2MP depth sensor, and 50MP selfie camera.

The phone will ship with Android 14, and HMD is promising two years of operating system upgrades and three years of security. While that's not uncommon for cheaper phones, Samsung and Motorola are now promising as long as six years of operating system upgrades on devices like the new Galaxy A-series and the Moto G75.

HMD says the Fusion X1 will be available in Australia in the first half of the year, but pricing has yet to be confirmed. It could cost around $459 based on international prices.

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Alex Choros

Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor | X | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn

Alex Choros is the Managing Editor of WhistleOut Australia and an award-winning journalist. He's been writing about consumer technology for over a decade and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. In addition to leading the WhistleOut editorial team, Alex is responsible for ruining the office Sonos with his troubled taste in music.

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