HMD's Amped Buds in-ears sport a unique, hidden trick

With MWC 2025 well underway, there's already a wide array of new technology to sink your teeth into. The show – which takes place in Barcelona each year – has already seen the launch of new devices like the Xiaomi 15 Ultra this year.

Another brand has launched a world-first technology which must just be a life-saver if you find yourself in a pinch. It comes from HMD Global – a Finnish brand which also creates modern Nokia devices – and it might be one of the most useful new features I've seen in a long time.

It comes from the new HMD Amped Buds. Those are wireless earbuds with a charging case which can top up the juice for any compatible wireless-charging phone.

I was certainly skeptical when I first heard about this. After all, the case for a pair of wireless earbuds has a relatively small battery inside – you'd be lucky to get one-tenth of the power found in a phone battery.

That's not the case here, though. The Amped Buds come complete with a 1,600mAh power rating, which is around 30% of the average phone battery. A 30% charge is certainly not to be scoffed at, either. Say, for example, you're on the last train home and trying to arrange a lift back from the station – that little extra juice could be the difference between a smooth journey and being stranded.

I'm also buoyed by the wording of the launch. That suggests that any device that is "wireless-charging compatible" will be able to make use of the feature. It's something which is becoming a rarer sight these days – too often, key features are locked into specific ecosystems rather than being freely opened to the market at large.

Don't think the specs of the buds themselves are made to suffer as a consequence. You can expect an astounding 95 hours of power reserve from these dainty in-ears – which is significantly more than just about anything else on the market.

The swivelling design is something cool and different, too – though we'll leave any further analysis until we've given them a go in person.