How We Research
Updated: 2026-10-06 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want an open-ear pair that doubles as a real-time interpreter for travel and business, choose MINISO X28; if you need open-ear earbuds built around marathon battery life for side sleepers and all-day wear, choose ROEL-PLAY Open Ear. These two OWS earbuds look similar on the surface — both hook over the ear, both leave your ear canal open — but they were clearly designed for different people. One is a translation tool that happens to play music. The other is an endurance audio device that happens to charge itself forever. Here's how I'd split them.
• MINISO X28 — biggest strength: built-in AI translation across 150 languages through the Saymi Intelligence app, plus Bluetooth 5.4 and adaptive noise cancellation in a lightweight 0.17 kg package.
• MINISO X28 — biggest trade-off: its rated battery life is 16 hours per charge with no swappable battery, and you must pair it to the phone first and then to the app before translation works.
• ROEL-PLAY Open Ear — biggest strength: a magnetic swappable battery system that cycles two batteries for up to 60 hours of total playtime, expandable to 120 hours with spares, all on Bluetooth 6.0.
• ROEL-PLAY Open Ear — biggest trade-off: it's a bigger, more feature-dense product (ABS case, LED charging case, button/touch controls) with no translation function at all.
• Who MINISO X28 is for: travelers, students and business users who need live two-way translation and situational awareness on the move.
• Who ROEL-PLAY Open Ear is for: athletes, commuters and side sleepers who want maximum uptime and comfort without ever thinking about charging.
The X28 is the more interesting product of the two, and not because of its audio. Its headline feature is AI translation — 150 languages, real-time two-way, with support for Chinese, English, Japanese, Korean, Russian, German, French and Spanish among others. It works three ways: binaural translation through both earbuds, headphone-plus-phone translation, and an AI chat mode. That's a genuinely unusual capability for an open-ear sport headphone, and it's the reason someone would pick this over any normal OWS pair.
Around that core, the specs are solid but conventional. Bluetooth 5.4 with a claimed 200% faster transmission and 50% greater stability than older versions, ultra-low 50 ms latency, and support for HSP, HFP, A2DP and AVRCP across iOS, Android and Windows. The driver is a dynamic driver covering 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz, and noise control is adaptive noise cancellation via touch controls. The open-ear hook design keeps ambient sound audible, which the spec sheet frames around safety for walking, biking, jogging, commuting and driving. Battery life is listed at 16 hours, with a 16-hour charge time.
Who should buy it? In my opinion, anyone whose main problem is language, not battery. If you're a frequent traveler, a language learner, or someone in international business meetings, the translation stack is the whole point. It's also a reasonable pick for side sleepers who want an open-ear shape that doesn't press into the pillow, since the hook design and low weight (0.17 kg total) reduce pressure — though you should note the plastic build and the fact that you must connect the headset to your phone first, then to the Saymi Intelligence app, before any translation works.
Who should skip it? Anyone who wants truly endless playtime, and anyone who wants a totally app-free experience. If you never use translation, you're paying for a feature you won't touch. And 16 hours per charge is fine for a day, not for a week of heavy use.
The M143 attacks a completely different problem: battery anxiety. Its defining feature is an industry-first magnetic detachable battery — you swap in a fresh cell in about three seconds, with zero waiting. Two batteries cycle for double playback life, giving up to 60 hours of comprehensive working time and up to 120 hours if you carry spares. The charging case has an LED digital screen showing real-time power for both the earbuds and the case. If you've ever had earbuds die mid-workout or mid-flight, that design is aimed directly at you.
The audio and connectivity story is also more premium on paper. Bluetooth 6.0 with dual-device switching between phone and laptop, AF beamforming directional transmission plus reverse sound wave cancellation to cut leakage and protect privacy, and a titanium-coated dome speaker with AptX/AAC lossless decoding and Dolby 360° spatial surround. Call quality gets ENC AI noise reduction to filter traffic and crowd noise. Sweat and light rain are handled by IPX5 water resistance.
Comfort is where it competes hardest for side sleepers. The hook is rotatable, adjustable liquid silicone with what the spec sheet calls a golden-triangle support structure — skin-friendly, ultra-light, zero-pressure, and secure enough for running, gym work and cycling. That combination of soft silicone, adjustable fit and low pressure is exactly what a headphone for side sleepers needs, because hard plastic hooks dig in when your head is on a pillow. The ABS enclosure and beige finish keep the case compact enough for a pocket.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for battery life → ROEL-PLAY Open Ear. Up to 60 hours across two swappable batteries, expandable to 120 hours, versus 16 hours on the X28.
• Best for translation and travel → MINISO X28. 150-language real-time two-way translation is a feature the M143 simply doesn't have.
• Best for side sleepers → ROEL-PLAY Open Ear. The rotatable liquid silicone hook with golden-triangle support is designed for zero pressure over long wear, which matters most when your ear is against a pillow.
• Best for calls in noisy places → ROEL-PLAY Open Ear. ENC AI call noise reduction targets traffic and crowd chatter specifically.
• Best for privacy in public → ROEL-PLAY Open Ear. AF beamforming plus reverse sound wave cancellation is built to stop leakage; the X28 relies on its open-ear design alone.
• Best for the latest Bluetooth → ROEL-PLAY Open Ear (6.0 vs 5.4), though the X28's 5.4 with 50 ms latency is still strong for gaming and video.
• Best for lighter carry → MINISO X28. At 0.17 kg with a plastic case and a single-battery design, it's the simpler object to toss in a bag.
• Best for kids and casual outdoor use → MINISO X28. Open-ear awareness plus a straightforward hook fit suits walking, biking and jogging, and the lower complexity means less to manage.
If I were buying for myself and my priority was never running out of power — especially as a side sleeper who wears earbuds for hours — I'd take the ROEL-PLAY Open Ear. The swappable battery, Bluetooth 6.0, beamforming privacy and silicone hook comfort are the features I'd actually use every day. The MINISO X28 is the better buy only if translation is your reason for shopping: 150 languages in real time is a capability the ROEL-PLAY can't match at any setting. Pick the X28 for language, pick the M143 for endurance and comfort. Check the current price on Amazon before you commit, since that's the one variable I can't compare here.
Open-ear (OWS) earbuds like both of these use an ear hook rather than an in-ear tip. You drape the hook over the top of your ear so the speaker sits just outside the ear canal. The ROEL-PLAY hook is rotatable and adjustable for fit; the MINISO X28 uses a fixed ear-hook shape.
Both are touch-controlled and wireless over Bluetooth, so you pair once and then tap to play, pause and manage calls. The MINISO X28 adds an extra step: connect the headset to your phone first, then connect it to the Saymi Intelligence app to unlock translation, AI chat and related functions.
Turn the earbuds on so they enter pairing mode, open your phone's Bluetooth settings, and select the earbuds from the list. The X28 supports Bluetooth 5.4 across iOS, Android and Windows; the ROEL-PLAY M143 runs Bluetooth 6.0 and can switch between two devices, such as a phone and a laptop, without re-pairing.
Pairing works the same way as any Bluetooth headset — enable pairing on the earbuds, then choose them in your device's Bluetooth menu. The ROEL-PLAY supports dual-device switching after pairing; the MINISO X28 pairs normally but needs the Saymi Intelligence app installed afterward if you want its translation features.
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