Now, it can be said: Vivo‘s first true wireless earphones, whose launch we at Revü witnessed in Shanghai last year, will be offered in the Philippines. This was revealed to us during an online media gathering the company recently organized.

(Update, August 22: Finally official! Read Vivo X50 Pro 5G, Vivo X50, Vivo TWS Neo launched in PH.)

(Update, August 17: Vivo Philippines has announced that the Vivo TWS Earphone Neo, not the non-Neo truly wireless earphones, will be sold here. In China, it’s priced at ¥499 (around P3,501).

It’s about time, as shipments of smart personal audio devices are expected to grow by 23.6% in Asia-Pacific. And the main driver? The TWS category, correct. Add to this the fact that Vivo is the only major smartphone vendor in the Philippines — and the No. 1 in the second quarter of 2020 at that — that has not brought in its accessory.

Simply called the Vivo TWS Earphone, they were introduced alongside the Vivo NEX 3 at the time. There’s a newer one — the Vivo TWS Earphone Neo — but we’re not sure if that particular model will be sold in the country.

The Vivo TWS Earphone are powered by a Qualcomm QCC5126 wireless chipset that bring Bluetooth 5.0 and low-power dual-mode connectivity to the table. They feature a 14.2mm driver on each side and support Qualcomm aptX and AAC high-definition audio decoding.

As with other Bluetooth earbuds, they come with a charging case, which connects via USB-C and provides 24 hours of earbud use on a four-hour charge. The company claims a 15-minute charge will get you two hours of listening time. Check out their specs below:

• Qualcomm QCC5126
• 14.2.mm drivers
• Low-latency gaming mode
• Touch controls
• Bluetooth 5.0
• 25mAh (per earbud), 410mAh (charging case) = 24-hour battery life
• IP54 rating for water and dust resistance

In the Philippines, the product will debut alongside the Vivo X50 and Vivo X50 Pro August 22nd. No Vivo X50 Pro Plus, we’re sorry to say.

Speaking of the handsets, we don’t know yet if the regular X50 that’s coming here is the 4G variant or the 5G one. But at least it’s confirmed that the Pro model supports the latest-generation mobile network and that it will be one of Smart Communications’ first 5G smartphone offerings.

---