soundcore P20i Review: Cheap Earbuds, Surprisingly Hard to Beat

By Editorial Team | April 2026

You do not buy the soundcore P20i for luxury. You buy it because you want earbuds that disappear into the day: commute, gym, calls, repeat. At £17.99, this is the rare budget pair that feels thought through, and the 7.8 score backs that up.

Our pick: soundcore P20i

soundcore P20i — £17.99

If you want cheap everyday wireless earbuds that keep going, sound decent, and give you more control than most models at this price, this is the one to beat. The 10-hour battery life per charge and 30-hour total case life are the headline win, but the real edge is the app support: 22 EQ presets, custom controls, and a Find My Earbuds function make these feel smarter than the price suggests.

Why it works:

• The 10mm drivers deliver a bass-forward sound that suits pop, hip-hop and podcasts better than thin, tinny budget rivals.
• Bluetooth 5.3 and the two-mic AI call setup make it a solid daily-driver for commuting and work calls.
• IPX5 resistance and 10-minute fast charging for 2 hours of playback make it easy to live with, not just easy to buy.

The honest trade-off: It is not the pair to buy if you care most about noise cancelling or clean, reference-style sound.

If you want the cheapest earbuds that still feel properly usable, buy the soundcore P20i.

Best upgrade: Sony WF-C700N

Sony WF-C700N — £61.67

The extra money buys you a more rounded earbud: proper noise cancelling, a more refined sound, and a step up in overall polish. This is the sensible upgrade if your main complaint with budget buds is not battery life, but traffic noise, open-plan offices and generally wanting less of the outside world.

Worth it if: You listen in noisy places and want stronger isolation without jumping to flagship pricing.

Best budget pick: JLab Go Air Pop

JLab Go Air Pop — £24.99

This is the stripped-back option. It gets the basics right for less money, but you give up the P20i’s stronger battery package and the more useful app features, so it is only the smarter buy if you genuinely just want a cheap backup pair.

Worth it if: You want the lowest-cost true wireless earbuds you can comfortably abuse as a spare set.

How we chose

For budget earbuds, the only things that matter are battery life, fit, call quality, sound tuning and whether the app actually adds value. We used the product specs provided here, then checked current alternatives and recent expert roundups to make sure the upgrade and budget picks are real, available options.

Frequently asked questions

Do the soundcore P20i have noise cancelling? No. That is the main compromise, and it is why they stay cheap.

Are they worth £17.99? Yes, if you want everyday earbuds rather than a vanity audio purchase. The battery life and app features are unusually good for the money.

Are they okay for workouts and rain? Yes. The IPX5 rating means they can handle sweat and splashes, but not being dunked in water.

Bottom line

The soundcore P20i is exactly what budget earbuds should be: cheap, reliable and better featured than it has any right to be. It is not for ANC obsessives or sound purists. For everyone else, it is an easy recommendation.