Motorola Tech3 Review: Hybrid Earbuds For The Plug-in Crowd

Motorola Tech3 True Wireless Earbuds

Motorola Tech3 Test: Wireless earphones without range anxiety

"A clever hybrid design takes you from wired to really wireless in seconds if you agree with average sound."

  • Clever hybrid design

  • Well-designed cable management

  • Clear and precise sound

  • Good battery life

  • IPX5 water resistance

  • Not enough bass

  • No volume control

  • Poor call quality when it is loud

  • Massive charging case

Surprisingly, real wireless earphones and electric cars have a lot in common. Both offer unprecedented freedom: electric cars free us from our addiction to oil, and real wireless earphones free us from our addiction to cables. However, both inventions also have inherent limitations: electric cars have a maximum range determined by their battery capacity, and the same applies to the length of time that real wireless earphones can deliver music without interruption.

In both cases, fear of a lack of juice can be described as range anxiety, provided you are willing to equate kilometers driven with hours of playback. It is this range fear that makes the real Motorola Tech3 wireless earphones so interesting for $ 100. With a literal plug-in hybrid design that lets you turn them into wired earbuds, they're the perfect antidote to fear of range.

But do the advantages of Tech3's 3-in-1 design outweigh the disadvantages? Let’s take a closer look.

Wrap your head around this design

Motorola Tech3 True Wireless EarbudsSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

You may find that once you keep an eye on the charging case, the Tech3 is not like other real wireless earbuds. It looks like a really big black yo-yo. This is due in part to the squat, cylindrical shape, but the comparison becomes almost inevitable due to the two sets of braided cords that wrap around the middle section.

The braided cords do not stretch or deform at all and snap into their slots in the same way each time. It just works.

Open the compact makeup style lid and you'll find that the earbuds are neatly tucked away in their own charging corners. If you fold up a second smaller lid in the main compartment, the ends of one of these braided cords become visible. This is the one with which you physically connect the earphones in their "sport loop" configuration.

The second cable – the cable that is magnetically attached to the sports loop for wired use – is accessible from the bottom of the case. The arrangement reminds me of decades of trying to keep wired earbuds neat by wrapping them around all kinds of objects. It was almost always a total mess, but the Tech3 manages to bring order to chaos thanks to one important difference: the braided cords do not stretch or deform at all, which means that they wrap around their housing and snap into their respective slots every time the same way. It just works.

The only problem with this design is its size. Unlike most of today's real wireless earbuds, the Tech3 case cannot be comfortably plugged in. Some people may also be annoyed by the micro USB charging port, a format that has almost disappeared on newer phones (ironically, the latest Motorola models as well). There is a charge indicator on the front, but it is tiny and very difficult to see.

Comfortable buds

Motorola Tech3 True Wireless EarbudsSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

When I first saw the Tech3 press images, I was concerned that being able to connect the sports loop cable would mean big, bulky earphones. Amazingly, the buds aren't bigger or heavier than non-hybrid models, and they're actually smaller than some others – Amazon's Echo Buds are chunkier.

The plastic plugs at the ends of the cable form a barrier to how deep you can insert the earphones into your ears.

They are also very convenient. I'm very lucky with the standard medium-sized earplugs on most earbuds, and the Tech3 was no exception. I could nestle them firmly and comfortably in my ear and they stayed comfortable for several hours.

Despite the fact that you can connect the sports loop without losing size or comfort, there is a pretty big flaw in the design. The hard plastic plugs on the ends of the cable form a physical barrier to how deep you can insert the earphones into your ears. For me, this meant that the natural resistance that the string exerted over time tended to loosen the buds.

There is a reason why practically all ear loop-based earphones use some kind of ear hook or ear fin – you need to stabilize the earphones against this pulling. Unfortunately, the Tech3 is not equipped with built-in or optional ear plugs, which you can find on some models. This appears to be a strange oversight for earphones that are supposed to be tied up and used during intense physical activity. On a positive note, with IPX5 water resistance, they are able to deal with the type of sweat that normally occurs during vigorous exercises.

Decent sound

At $ 100, the Motorola Tech3 is at the top end of the affordable side of the real wireless earphone market. Given the fancy hybrid design, one can expect some sacrifices to be made in the audio department, and this is true: they don't deliver the same audio quality as the 1More Stylish at a similar price.

Nevertheless, they deliver very good clarity and precision with a surprisingly neutral EQ. In this price range, earphones tend to overcompensate for the bass, or they don't provide a satisfactorily full midrange. The Tech3 don't suffer from these drawbacks, making it a better choice for those who like their music with a minimum of tonal changes. Vocals are particularly well represented, and although bass heads want more low-end pomp, most genres actually benefit from the Tech3's sound signature.

Light on functions

Motorola Tech3 True Wireless EarbudsSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

Another area where the Tech3 cuts off some corners is its features. You get the standard controls: play / pause, skip tracks forward / backward and answer / end call. You can also access your phone's personal assistant or speak to Alexa by installing Hubble's free Verve Life app. With this app you can also track the last known location of the earphones in case you lose them.

However, there is no volume control, no listening mode (sometimes called transparency mode) to let outside noise in, and no ear sensor. So if you remove one or both buds, the music will continue to play instead of automatically stopping. And considering that there is a companion app, it's a shame that you don't get an equalizer function either. The controls themselves react very quickly to typing. However, as we've seen with other touch-sensitive earbuds, you may accidentally type (and stop playback) or type twice and the bud may not register the second typing.

Not built for noise

Motorola Tech3 True Wireless EarbudsSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

The call quality with the Tech3 is a hit or miss. The overall voice quality is very good, but your callers will not appreciate it if you are in a busy environment. There is practically no noise cancellation. A light breeze sounded like a wind storm, and a dog that barked more than 50 feet away sounded like it was right next to me. It's a subtle reminder that the Tech3 is part of a portfolio of Motorola-branded products, but not manufactured by Motorola Solutions (the original Motorola company) or the Lenovo subsidiary that controls the mobile phone business. Instead, these earphones are manufactured by Binatone, a Hong Kong-based electronics manufacturer, under license from Lenovo.

Good battery life

Designed for seven hours between charges, you may never need to use this patch cord.

Yes, the Tech3 has been designed to offer unlimited playtime through its hybrid design. However, this does not mean that the battery life is not adequate. Rated seven hours between charges, I actually got more than 7.5 hours out of my right earphone, while the left gave up after almost seven hours.

Even the quick charge function is better than expected with three hours of play after 15 minutes. With only about 1.5 charges in the case (18 hours in total), you may never need to use this connector cable.

Plug-in hybrid

Motorola Tech3 True Wireless EarbudsSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

Using the two cables to switch from completely wireless to fully wired takes only a few seconds. The hardest part is aligning the three-pronged gold contacts on the ends of the sports loop with the corresponding connectors on each earphone. There are a number of white markings that help, but it requires some precision, not to mention good eyesight.

An obvious problem with this arrangement is that these contacts can come loose over time, much like headphone jacks do. It's certainly a risk, but I can tell you that the fit is tight and very secure, at least when new. No gentle pull can move them.

When the earphones are connected via the magnetic headphone cable, they are automatically switched off and sound just as good, if not better, than in wireless mode.

Our opinion

The Motorola Tech3 concept offers a unique solution to a problem that we are not convinced that many people have: how to use your real wireless earphones with a headphone jack. At $ 100, this isn't an expensive solution, but you have to give up a lot to take advantage of its flexibility.

Is there a better alternative?

If great sound is important to you and your budget can stretch a bit, you can actually get a very similar solution with the Shure Aonic 215. They're not as elegantly packaged as the Tech3 and have their own drawbacks, but they're much more flexible.

If great sound is important to you, but $ 100 is your limit, check out our list of the best cheap real wireless earbuds. None of them have the Tech3's clever hybrid trick, but many offer more features and better sound. If battery life is your biggest concern, you can't go wrong for an additional $ 29 with Samsung's amazing 11-hour Galaxy Buds + for $ 129.

How long it will take?

The construction of the Tech3 earphones and their charging case is good, but not great. You will probably survive for several years if you don't abuse them. The two cables are very well made, but it is impossible to say how many times you can connect them to the earphones before this connection fails.

Should you buy it

If you don't necessarily need to be able to connect your real wireless earbuds to a phone or computer, or if you're constantly worried that your battery will run out, skip the Tech3. However, if you appreciate its main function, it is not a real set of real wireless earbuds.

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2020 Polestar 1 Plug-In Hybrid Luxury Coupe Review

2020 Polestar 1

2020 Polestar 1 review: All aboard the Scandinavian Express

"Polestar's first car, the Plug-in Hybrid 1, fills a gap between efficiency and performance."

  • Beautiful design

  • Seriously powerful

  • Real torque vectoring

  • User-friendly technology

  • Tiny trunk

  • It feels very volvo-like inside

Heritage is a double-edged sword in the automotive industry.

It sells cars and there are whole brands that are boldly built on it, but it's also a burden in the age of electrification. How would enthusiasts respond if Porsche released a 911 powered by a flat twin generator and four electric motors? Not good.

This is where Polestar comes in. It was founded in 2017 and has no legacy as an independent brand. Therefore, it is not bound by rules other than the rules it sets. The 1, its aptly named first car, does not deviate far from the style elements that define GT coupes, but it does without a large-displacement engine for plug-in hybrid drive. Does it move the segment forward or does it fall too short? I flew to Gothenburg, Sweden, to familiarize myself with one of the 1,500 units that Polestar is planning.

Design and interior

If you look at photos of Polestar 1 and wonder what kind of Volvo you're looking at, you're not alone – at least four people asked me about it during my time. You also have plans. This shapely two-door began as the Concept Coupé, which the Swedish company presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show 2013 to get a preview of its next design language. Executives beamed as they celebrated the beautiful design study as the legacy of the P1800, but no one expected it to see the light at the end of a production line. It should have lived in the company's museum.

I thought I was flying under the radar in Polestar 1. I was wrong. It turned heads everywhere.

His fate changed fundamentally when Volvo and the parent company Geely Polestar moved from a tuner and racing car manufacturer to an independent luxury brand in 2017. Creating a business case for a two-door version of the S90 suddenly became much easier, according to Volvo. The design icon turned into an upscale Grand Tourer with supercar-like power and a suitable price. Carbon fiber is used extensively to balance the weight of the hybrid system as much as possible.

What we saw in Frankfurt seven years ago is somewhat unexpectedly almost exactly what Polestar builds. Here's a cheat sheet if you want to spot the differences: Stylists have redesigned the lower part of the front bumper, pulled the Volvo emblem off the grille, and nip-and-tucked the rear end. The elegant proportions and the attractive, reserved lines are retained. It's all done in a very subtle and ultimately very Swedish way. The designers haven't attached a rear wing the size of a bench in the National Mall, nor an air scoop in the form of an oversized Cool Ranch Dorito.

With this in mind, I thought I was flying under the radar at 1. I was wrong. It turned heads everywhere. I sipped a double espresso as I watched a man jog, circled back, and spent at least 3 minutes examining him from every angle. Those who are on the pulse of the auto industry know immediately that they are looking for something special. Polestar will only produce 1,500 examples of the 1 in Chengdu, China, so there is little chance of spotting one in the wild.

2020 Polestar 1Ronan Glon

Inside, parts like the three-spoke steering wheel, the digital instrument cluster, the touchscreen of the infotainment system and the ventilation slots that surround it will look familiar to you if you were in a Volvo of the latest generation. Stylists added, among other things, yellow seat belts and an Orrefors crystal gear selector that looks and feels like a Volvo behind the driver's seat, though, and that could be a fork at this price.

The cargo hold deserves a special mention; The Polestar 1 is the only car I have ever driven with a trunk that is as useless as it is fascinating. And believe me, it registers an extremely strong signal on both radars. The total capacity is 4.4 cubic feet, which is slightly less than that of a Lamborghini Aventador S. with a mid-engine.

2020 Polestar 1Ronan Glon

This is because part of the drivetrain battery is housed in the transmission tunnel, which the drive shaft normally drives into, and the rest is directly behind the rear seats. I couldn't fit a carry-on suitcase, my briefcase, and much else.

The disadvantage is that you can marvel at the orange high-voltage cabling through a transparent, scratch-resistant panel. Each port is labeled so you know what is what – it's a cool way to showcase technology. It almost feels like you're going through a life-size circuit diagram that's heavenly for auto technician nerds.

Technology and infotainment

Thanks to carbon fiber, the doors are lighter than expected. Once inside, the driver sits behind a high-resolution 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster that includes a speedometer, a power indicator, a fuel gauge, and a fourth dial to provide information about what the hybrid system is doing and what is not. For example, it signals exactly when the drive train switches from electric to petrol-powered. Navigation instructions are also displayed in the instrument cluster. You can also find them on the standard head-up display and on the touchscreen on the center stack. There is also Android Auto, so you have no excuse to get lost here.

2020 Polestar 1Ronan Glon

Speaking of the touchscreen: it's a 9.3-inch device that – you guessed it – is shared with members of the Volvo range. I have praised the intuitiveness of this system in previous reviews, and this is no different here. It contains a huge amount of information, but is easy and straightforward to use. The various menus are clearly marked, the graphics are sharp and the response time is quick.

Polestar inherited Volvo's manic, decades-long obsession with passenger safety.

There are better systems on the market like the MBUX software from Mercedes-Benz, but that from Polestar remains excellent every day. Remember that it is also at the end of its life cycle, so it has stood the test of time well. The company has already developed its next infotainment system with contributions from Google. It is Android-based, smartphone-like, is displayed on an 11.0-inch screen and is expected to appear in the not too distant future.

Polestar also inherited Volvo's manic, decades-long obsession with passenger safety. The long list of electronic driving aids includes front and rear collision mitigation (which the car can steer out of an accident with an oncoming vehicle), a 360-degree camera, and enough airbags to build an inflatable replica of the majestic Edinburgh Castle.

Performance and ride

Volvo and China's parent company, Geely, founded Polestar to manufacture electric vehicles like the 2, but the 1 is the notable exception to the rule. It is powered by a petrol-electric plug-in hybrid drive, which consists of a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with turbocharger and compressor, two electric motors and an integrated starter generator (ISG).

The hybrid system's total output is 600 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque.

The engine and ISG are hidden under the long bonnet, the electric motors are each assigned to one of the rear wheels, and there is no mechanical connection between the axles, so the system delivers all-wheel drive via the road. The electricity is stored in a large (for a plug-in hybrid) 34-kilowatt hour lithium-ion battery.

The hybrid system's total output is 600 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque. How it gets on the sidewalk depends on the selected driving mode. If you choose the Pure profile, the engine is turned off and the 1 is turned into a rear-wheel drive electric car for about 60 miles. In this configuration, it is quiet, agile and fluid to drive. I used this mode when I was traveling through downtown Gothenburg. Selecting AWD, Hybrid or Power modes on the touchscreen silently wakes the engine from sleep to achieve full powertrain performance.

2020 Polestar 1Ronan Glon

After leaving town, I got to know the 600 horses under my right foot and found that they do not all live in the same stable. When you press the accelerator pedal, the first thing you feel is the immediate torque that is delivered by the electric motors in the rear. The four-cylinder compressor winds up quickly and the turbocharger's thrust comes last.

Six hundred is an impressive number when we talk about the performance of an engine or hybrid system, but in this case it doesn't mean brutal, lightning-fast acceleration. It's linear, which goes well with the character of this car. It's a good-natured coupe with a distinct Scandinavian flavor, not a racing rat that spends its nights in the pits.

2020 Polestar 1Ronan Glon

The petrol-electric configuration on the road also has an extremely interesting (and somewhat unexpected) effect on the handling that I discovered on the winding, tree-lined roads that separate the interior of Sweden from the country's scenic, seafood-crazy coastline.

If everything fits, the 1 overcomes its not inconsiderable weight of 5,170 pounds to offer a sharp and precise driving experience.

The four-cylinder transmits around 300 hp to the front wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission, which results in easy torque control when accelerated strongly.

Meanwhile, the two electric motors relentlessly push the car forward. For a few seconds, the 1 feels like a car with front and rear wheel drive at the same time. It's a unique behavior and it's surprisingly fun once you've learned how to do it.

If everything fits, the 1 overcomes its not inconsiderable weight of 5,170 pounds to offer a sharp and precise driving experience. This is where technology comes in again. The electric motors are independent of each other so that they can spin at different speeds. This means that the system can slow down the inner rear wheel in a curve. This is real torque vectorization. This makes the 1 feel agile and responsive on a winding road.

2020 Polestar 1Ronan Glon

Polestar has teamed up with Swedish suspension expert Öhlins to tune the 1. You have chosen a ride that is reasonably firm – the car never feels like a floating Viking ship, but it is not punitive or overly bouncy.

Mammoth brakes brought the coupé to a standstill without drama, but I didn't use it often. Seriously, who needs brakes when you have 600 horsepower? I'm just having fun. The brake energy recovery system slows the car down as soon as you take your foot off the accelerator to generate electricity that it sends to the battery. This way you can almost come to a standstill.

True to the great touring spirit, which is partly defined by the ability to effortlessly chase through countries, the 1 is content to cross and cross and cross … and cross.

Volvo's Pilot Assist technology combines adaptive cruise control with Lane Keeping Assist. Over the past few years, I've driven enough cars with this system to see how much it has improved. At the beginning of his life, the lane keeping assistant pinged the car nervously between the lane markings. In the 1 and in newer Volvo models such as the V60 Cross Country, the car remains centered on the lane.

Reach and efficiency

In its most efficient hybrid mode, the Polestar 1 has a fuel consumption of 64 MPG, a number that roughly equates it to the BMW i8, which will soon be retiring, and a range of up to 540 miles, which exceeds every 100% electric car considerably larger than Hawaii. Volvo's XC90 plug-in hybrid is rated at 55 MPG, while the petrol-electric version of the Audi Q5 is rated at 65 MPG. Both are less powerful than the 1. According to Polestar, it takes 80% less than an hour to charge a completely empty battery when using a 50-kilowatt DC fast charger.

Although it is a relatively new car, the 1 was built with proven mechanical components that can be found in several Volvo models. Therefore, it should be able to drive reliably and carefree for many years. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has not yet been forced into a wall, so its crash test result is not available.

How DT would configure this car

It's simple: I don't really need to configure it. With a starting price of $ 156,500 including destination, Polestar considered it appropriate to include all the features of its arsenal in the list of standard equipment. Heated seats? Check. Soft leather upholstery? It is there and it is beautiful. An amazingly clear Bowers & Wilkins sound system? Yup. The only option is matte paint, which costs $ 5,000. I would skip it. I would order mine in a gray called magnesium and keep my tester's wheels.

Our opinion

2020 Polestar 1Ronan Glon

It is far too easy to just write off the Polestar 1 as a large Volvo coupe. It's true, it looks and feels that way in many ways, but the plug-in hybrid system makes it more than just a two-door S90. It gets the GT label by ticking the boxes for comfort and performance and offers useful standard technical functions (such as the head-up display and pilot assistant) that do not impair the driving experience. However, it's a shame about the trunk.

On a secondary level, the 1 really feels special. It is confident but unpretentious. It's rare, but it doesn't scream. It's quick, but it doesn't flaunt it. I drove faster and spent time in more expensive (and accordingly more wasteful) coupes, but the 1 is one that I still chatter about when I'm an old man.

Should you get one?

Depends on. In the price range of the Polestar 1 you will find much more powerful super sports cars. However, if you are looking for an efficient, comfortable Grand Tourer with all the frills, this is the place for you.

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