Transparent design has become a new trend in electronics ever since Nothing gadgets blew up. The RedMagic 8 Pro that we recently reviewed also had transparent elements incorporated in its design, which definitely added something unique to the phone’s overall look.
Many brands decided to jump on the bandwagon since, and Acefast is one of them. In this review, we’ll tell you about the latest true wireless earbuds by Acefast inspired by Nothing Ear (1) design. Let’s check out the Crystal (2) T8 model, so you can decide whether you should buy them as your next earphones.
Acefast Crystal (2) T8 Earbuds: First Impressions & Specs
While most modern smartphones look increasingly similar, earbuds manufacturers strive for authenticity, coming up with new trends and innovative designs. Being able to see the inside of your gadgets might be my favorite trend yet.
Acefast Crystal (2) T8 is a TWS headset that will catch the attention of the people around you. These lightweight earbuds are pleasant to look at and nice to touch. But once you get past the flashy design, you wonder whether the contents correspond with the looks.
Before we dive into the Acefast T8 review, here’s the full list of tech specs of these earbuds:
- Type: in-ear true wireless earbuds
- Weight: 0.4oz headset only, 1.65oz total (11g / 47g)
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3, USB-C
- Audio codecs: SBC/AAC
- Frequency response: 20Hz~20kHz
- ANC: no
- Speaker: coaxial aluminum moving coil, 10mm drivers, 6mm dome tweeters
- Water resistance rating: IPX4 (splash resistant)
- Color options: bright black, ice blue, mint green, lotus pink, alfalfa purple, white moon
- Battery: 45mAh headset battery + 480mAh charging case battery
- Price: $69.99 (on sale) on the Acefast website and $66.59 on Amazon
Design and Unpacking
The earbuds come in six different color variations – black, white, blue, green, pink, and purple – all of them with transparent bits that expose the insides of the charging case and the buds. We had the ice blue version for testing.
What’s in the Box
Here’s everything you’ll find when unpacking your Acefast earbuds:
- Crystal T8 earbuds by Acefast
- Charging case
- USB-C cable
- Silicone case + silicone lanyard
- Four pairs of different size ear tips + storage box
- User Manual
The charging case has a 3D LED digital display that features breathing light and shows the remaining battery percentage on the case and each earbud. When you remove one of the earbuds from the charge, only the other half of the display is lit up. When you put the two earbuds back, the indicators on both sides of the display light up.
All of that is most likely inspired by the Nothing Ear (1) design. However, what makes the Acefast earbuds different here is how the buds attach to the charging case – via magnets on each side. When the earbuds attach, they make a distinctive click. During testing, I often found myself repetitively taking earbuds out of the case and putting them back . I can only compare that to a fidget spinner. If you’re a fidgeter like me, you’ll enjoy this.
The half-transparent case doesn’t have any buttons on it, and you can only control the earbuds via the touch controls on the buds themselves. It’s a shame, as I feel like a physical button allowing you to turn the display on and check the battery level would be a great addition. As it stands now, you have to take out one of the earbuds to switch on the display.
Each earbud weighs 5.5 grams, and the total weight of the buds with the charging case is 47 grams. These aren’t the lightest earbuds I’ve tested, but they’re definitely on the smaller side and compact enough to carry them in your jeans pocket.
The case is made of plastic and feels solid and smooth. The earbuds don’t fall out of the case and stay in once you put them there. On the bottom of the charging case, you’ll find a Type-C charging port. The earbuds have white lights on them that light up while charging or connecting.
The Accessories
The accessories are where Acefast Crystal T8 shines. When unpacking your earbuds, you’ll find three different compartments, each with a different add-on for your Crystal T8. You’ll find a silicone gel case matching your earbuds, a lanyard strap, and the extra silicone ear tips housed in a separate plastic container.
While the extra accessories are a nice touch, they mostly seem useless. The lanyard and the protective silicone case are both something I’d love when I was a kid, so they may be a good addition if you’re gifting these earbuds to a child. But the plastic storage box for the ear tips is utterly pointless, and you can bin it right after you’re finished with the unboxing experience.
The package also contains an extra leaflet with all the Acefast products and promo images. Overall, it’s a nice idea to put some thought into unique accessories, but in this particular case, they seem not very well thought through.
Audio Quality & Features
Regarding the listening experience, Acefast T8 delivers a pretty decent sound quality. Remember that these aren’t audiophile-grade earphones but rather a basic headset for everyday listening.
The earbuds come with 10mm drivers with an aluminum moving coil and 6mm dome tweeters. The sound produced appears too bassy for my taste. The vocals are clear enough, and the highs sound good, but the mids leave much to be desired. In general, I found that these earphones don’t handle well anything with a lot of musical instruments in them. However, the pop tracks sound fine. An equalizer could be Acefast’s saving grace in terms of audio quality. However, there’s no Acefast app and no such feature available.
When it comes to phone calls, the Acefast T8 works perfectly fine. The wireless earphones provided clear audio and no connectivity issues (tested with an Android smartphone, iPhone, tablet, and MacBook Air).
Once you get past the fascinating translucent design, the Crystal T8 falls a little flat in terms of features. The only audio codecs available are SBC and AAC, with no Hi-Res Audio support. There’s no in-ear/wear detection for pausing and resuming playback when you remove your earbuds and put them back in. There’s also multipoint pairing. The absence of a smartphone app prevents you from tuning the audio or updating your device to the latest firmware. Finally, there’s no ANC (active noise cancelation). Instead, these TWS earbuds have dual microphones on each earbud, offering ENC call noise reduction.
On a positive note, the buds support the latest Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity standard – something missing in the Tribit FlyBuds C1 Pro I reviewed recently. And, of course, the LED display on the charging case is one of my favorite features of the Acefast Crystal (2) T8. Whenever you remove the buds (or a bud) from the case or put them back in, the display lights up for a few seconds to show you the remaining battery. It’s very convenient; you don’t have to dig through your device’s Bluetooth settings to find this information.
Controls & Overall Fit
I have weird ears, and the fit of the earbuds is extremely important to me. The Crystal T8 sits pretty good inside the ears once you find the right size silicone ear tips. However, I wouldn’t run in them or exercise, as they’ll fall out pretty quickly.
The controls on the earbuds proved to be disappointing for me. The controls are done on the top part of both earbuds, and volume controls are the only ones I found very responsive. The rest—pausing the track, skipping songs, as well as answering calls – often took time before registering, and I had to perform them repeatedly to get the earbuds to work.
Having said that, I might be spoiled by having a physical button for controls on the earbuds. So far, that’s the only solution I found working with 100% efficiency when controlling your earbuds.
Since there’s no app allowing you to remap the controls, you have to get used to the Acefast pattern, even if your previous earbuds had a different control scheme.
Battery Life
The battery life of the Acefast T8 is pretty impressive. Each earbud has a 45mAh battery, and the charging case has a 480mAh battery. Crystal T8 has proven to last me about 7 hours on a single charge with continuous music playback and about 4-5 hours in calls mode, corresponding to what is advertised on the Acefast website. The charging case can extend the total listening time up to 30 hours. That’s more than many competitors offer in the same price range.
There’s a fairly short charging cable included with the headset. Full charging from zero takes about 1.5 hours, with every 10 mins of charge giving you two extra hours of usage.
There’s no wireless charging option, so you must be next to a power outlet to plug in your charging cable when the earphones and the case reach zero.
Should You Buy theAcefastCrystal (2) T8 Earbuds?
Acefast Crystal T8 earbuds lack a lot of features that I’ve become accustomed to as a TWS user, like the ANC mode or a smartphone app. But while there are better Bluetooth earbuds in the $100 price range, the Crystal T8 is currently on sale for $60-70, which puts them in a different price category.
As an entry-level headset, the Crystal T8 has plenty of great qualities, including excellent battery life, a magnetic storage case with the LED battery indicator screen, and of course, the stunning translucent design elements that will surely turn heads.
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If you don’t have a full-sized printing machine at home and often need to print a document on the go, check out the Newyes portable printer . This wireless printer is lightweight and small enough to fit in your bag. Not to mention it’s environmentally friendly, since it uses thermal paper instead of ink.
Follow our review of the Newyes portable wireless thermal printer to see if it suits your printing needs.
Newyes Portable Wireless Thermal A4 Printer: First Impressions & Specs
When I was a student, I remember my university always required hard copies of documents. Luckily, there was a print shop on campus where I could always pop in to print something.
Then I became a professional, and to my surprise many life spheres still required me to have printed versions of documents with me. Of course you can get your own full-sized machine to print things at home, but if like me you live in a small apartment, you value every extra bit of space and don’t want a massive printer to take it up.
One day, when I was looking for a neighbor with a printer to help me with my event tickets, they introduced me to the concept of a portable printer. Seeing how easy it is to use, I immediately wanted to get my hands on one of those. So here I am, reviewing one of the most useful gadgets I received recently – the Newyes portable thermal printer.
Before we continue with this review, here is the full list of specs of this printer.
- Model: Newyes LD0801
- Dimensions: 10.4 x 1.2 x 2.28 in (265 x 58 x 30.5 mm)
- Weight: 16.8oz (475g)
- Paper format: A4
- Paper width: 210mm or 218mm
- Printing Type: thermal paper
- Resolution: 203DPI
- Connectivity: Bluetooth
- Charging port: USB type-C port
- Input Voltage: DC 5V / 2A
- Battery: 1200mAh lithium battery
- Charging time: 75 min
- Automatic shut down: after 30 minutes
- Stand-by: about 30 days
- Extra features: LED light, reset, on / off switch button
- Color: white, black
- Warranty: limited one year warranty
- Price: $199 on the Newyes website
If you find yourself in need of hard copies of important documents while on the move, the Newyes portable wireless thermal printer will become your go-to gadget. Newyes calls it “the world’s smallest printer”, and with the weight of under 500g this seems plausible. This mini printer offers a handy solution for those moments when you need to quickly print an important document but don’t have access to an office setup.
Operating this printer is a breeze – a simple Bluetooth connection is all that’s required. Once connected, just fire up the app, choose the file you want to print, and send it over. Efficiency is at the forefront, and you can easily print multiple sheets by inserting new pages back to back.
The only limitation this printer has is that it can only print in black. So even if your original file is in color, the printed document will still come out in black and white. Other than that – you can print a variety of file types including Excel, Word, PDF, JPG, PNG, and web pages – and it only takes seconds.
The Newyes portable wireless printer combines convenience, portability, and efficiency – all the things I appreciate in a modern gadget.
Design and Unpacking
Let’s have a closer look at the design and build of this smart printer, as well as what you get included in the package when you purchase it.
What’s in the Box
Here’s everything you’ll find when unpacking your Newyes portable thermal printer:
- The Newyes portable wireless thermal printer
- Bracket
- USB type-C cable
- Storage/carrying pouch
- 100pcs thermal printing paper
- User manual
You can use the Newyes portable printer right out of the box, as you’re all set with essential accessories. Aside from the printer itself, the package includes a bracket which will make printing more than one page smoother, a convenient storage bag for carrying your printer with you, a USB-C cable for charging, and a supply of 100 pieces of thermal paper to get you started.
One important thing to remember is that this printer only works with thermal paper. While thermal paper is significantly more expensive than normal paper, this printer also uses inkless printing and works without a ribbon and toner. Since you don’t have to spend money on ink, carbon ribbons or toner cartridges, you ultimately end up saving money with thermal paper.
The Newyes LD0801 is a pocket-sized printer that features straightforward design. For the purpose of this review, I had a printer in white color. The printer looks like a small white brick with just two pressable buttons on top – one for switching it on and off, and another for opening the printer’s cover. You’ll also see the paper entry slot on top of the printer.
On the side of the printer, you’ll find a single charging port.
The printer is made of plastic, but the build feels sturdy. I never have to worry about throwing it into my bag or damaging it when traveling. Besides, you can use a nice carrying pouch included in the package for protection.
Performance & Features
According to Newyes, the portable printer has a “handheld size and two times the weight of an iPhone”. This can give you an idea of how portable and convenient this little gadget is. In a month of testing, I used it at home, in a store, and even in a car while on the road.
Using the printer is unbelievably easy. Connect it to your mobile phone via Bluetooth, press the button to turn the printer on and put a sheet of thermal paper into the paper entry slot. Make sure to use thermal paper and not standard paper, and put it with the black marks facing down. Bear in mind that the thermal printer can only print in black and white and only on one (marked) side of the thermal paper sheet.
Then open the iPrint app on your smartphone. If you’re printing an A4 document, you can select one of two options – Photo Printing and Document Printing . Then choose the document from your phone’s files and print it.
The printer is reliable and in the time that I used it the Newyes LD0801 never let me down. The printing quality will surprise you, as it’s sometimes better than what you get from a full-sized printer. The printer supports printing in various formats, and you can use it to print documents from your smartphone (Android and iPhone), iPad, and Android tablet.
When fully charged, the printer can support up to 90 pieces of paper continuously, which is very impressive for a gadget of such a small size.
Software
The Newyes portable printer requires an iPrint app to operate. The app is available for free on iOS and Android. You’ll need to download the app on your device from the App Store or Google Play before you begin printing your documents.
The app has a simple and user-friendly design. You’ll need to pair your device with the printer on the first use via Bluetooth.
Depending on the type of document you want to print, you can choose different options from the app. There’s photo printing, document printing, web printing, and banner printing.
The app also has Materials and Template sections, where you can find various pictures and templates for printing to-do lists, post-its and holiday cards. You can also use the Newyes LD0801 as a label printer using these templates.
Battery Life
The Newyes portable wireless thermal printer is equipped with a decent 1200mAh lithium battery. This high-capacity battery allows you to print on the go without constantly worrying about running out of charge. When I received the printer, I charged it fully once, and it still hasn’t run out of battery after one month of use (I use it to print something almost every other day).
Charging this printer is quick and takes just over an hour to charge the printer from zero to full. The type-C charging cable facilitates a rapid charging experience. And if you run out of battery while on the go, you can quickly charge the printer from a portable power station or a power bank to continue printing.
The printer doesn’t support wireless charging, so I’d recommend always bringing the usb-c cable with you just in case.
Should You Buy the Newyes Portable Wireless Thermal Printer?
The Newyes portable thermal printer ensures high-quality wireless printing while on the go and easy operation. It’s not the most budget-friendly option, but this purchase will save you money and nerves in the long run thanks to its versatility and portable nature.
Personally, I can say that this printer made my life easier. So much that it’s probably my favorite smart gadget of the year. If you’re looking for a portable printer that won’t take any space in your house, I’d certainly recommend considering the Newyes LD0801 model.
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