For starters, Flex is equipped with the older Apple W1 chip which powered the 1st gen AirPods, as opposed to Powerbeats that are carrying the newer H1 chip. Since “Hey Siri” requires the H1 chip, this also means that the feature is not available for Flex.
Flex’s physical design is also much more basic while the Powerbeats feature ear hooks. That being said, Flex does come with magnets on their body which would make them less prone to falling off when not being used, alongside auto play/pause capability. Even though both models have a cable that connects their earphones, Flex’s processing power module, as well as control buttons, are located on the cable itself, as compared to Powerbeats that have everything within their earphones. Flex’s battery life is also slightly lower at 12 hours while Powerbeats can go up to 15 hours.
Given some of these differences, it is not surprising to see that Flex is priced much lower than Powerbeats at RM 219. So, if you finally decide to forego the wired EarPods but still prefer the first-party option, Flex is the current starting point as they are now the most affordable first-party wireless audio product from Apple although the exact release date for Flex in Malaysia is not known for now.
