How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-21 · 6 min read · Independent comparison
• ZZU Earbuds — biggest strength: Up to 48 hours of total playtime through the LED charging case, with 9 hours per single charge and a 13.2mm dynamic driver tuned for bass-forward sound.
• ZZU Earbuds — biggest trade-off: They do only one job. No screen, no fitness tracking, no health metrics — pure audio, nothing more.
• Desong Watch — biggest strength: A 2-in-1 design that puts a 1.43" AMOLED smartwatch and a pair of TWS earbuds in one package, with the watch recharging the buds up to 7 times.
• Desong Watch — biggest trade-off: The earbuds themselves run about 3.5 hours per charge, so audio time is far shorter than a dedicated pair, and you're locked into the watch as your charging case.
• Who each pick is for: ZZU Earbuds suit anyone who mainly wants long-lasting audio and clear calls. Desong Watch suits anyone who wants notifications, fitness tracking and earbuds without carrying two gadgets.
The ZZU Earbuds (model T18) are built around one idea: keep the music going. A 13.2mm dynamic driver covers a 20 Hz–20,000 Hz range, and the tuning leans toward deep bass with clear vocals and bright treble. Bluetooth 5.3 handles the connection, with a stated 0.05s low latency for video and gaming, and a range of up to 33 feet. If you mostly listen on a phone or tablet and hate fiddling with settings, the auto-pairing on removal is the kind of small convenience that adds up over a day.
Battery is where these pull ahead of most combo devices. You get up to 9 hours per charge, and the LED display case pushes total playtime to roughly 48 hours — plus the case shows both its own remaining power and the buds' charging status, so you're never guessing. Each bud weighs about 0.13 ounces, and the package includes three sizes of silicone tips, so the in-ear seal can be adjusted instead of accepted as-is. Touch controls handle music, calls and voice assistant, with a chip designed to cut down on accidental taps. The IPX7 rating means sweat and rain are not a concern.
Buy these if audio is your priority: commuting, workouts, long work sessions, calls on the go. Skip them if you want a screen on your wrist, step counts, heart rate or sleep data — the ZZU set has none of that. It's an audio product, and it stays in its lane.
The Desong T98 is the opposite bet: instead of perfecting one thing, it merges two. The watch side is a 1.43" AMOLED touchscreen at 466x466, with anti-glare treatment for outdoor readability and an always-on option that the AMOLED panel can sustain without hammering the battery. It runs on the DA FIT app, works with Android and iOS, and supports watch faces you can customize — including your own photos — plus 100+ more from the app. A 300 mAh battery charges in about 3.5 hours and supports up to 20 days of standby. IP67 covers sweat, rain and hand washing, and it's rated to 2 meters of water resistance.
The fitness side is genuinely broad: 110+ sport modes with real-time distance, speed and calorie tracking, plus step counting, heart rate, blood oxygen and sleep management. Day-to-day, you get call and message notifications from platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and Twitter with vibration alerts, an AI voice assistant, a remote camera shutter, find-my-phone, weather, alarm, stopwatch and sedentary reminders. GPS comes via your paired smartphone rather than on-board.
The twist is the earbuds. They live in the watch, charge there automatically, and the watch's battery can refill them up to 7 times. Each bud carries a 35 mAh battery and gives you about 3.5 hours of listening per charge. That's the honest limit: this is not a marathon-listening setup. It's for calls, a podcast, a workout playlist — then back in the watch.
Buy it if you want one gadget that covers notifications, fitness tracking and casual audio, and you like the idea of leaving the house with less in your pockets. Skip it if music quality and long playback sessions are your main reason for buying earbuds at all.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for total battery life → ZZU Earbuds. Up to 48 hours with the case versus roughly 3.5 hours per earbud charge on the Desong.
• Best for phone-free convenience → Desong Watch. Notifications, calls and voice assistant on your wrist, with earbuds stored and charged in the same device.
• Best for pure sound hardware → ZZU Earbuds. A 13.2mm dynamic driver with a wide 20 Hz–20,000 Hz range and bass-forward tuning.
• Best for all-day comfort in the ear → ZZU Earbuds. About 0.13 ounces per bud, three silicone tip sizes, and a fit tested across a large group.
• Best for workouts in sweat and rain → Tie. ZZU is IPX7; Desong is IP67 and rated to 2 meters of water resistance. Both handle sweat and weather.
• Best for customizing your look → Desong Watch. Swap watch faces, add 100+ from the app, or use your own photos.
• Best for low-latency video and gaming → ZZU Earbuds. Bluetooth 5.3 with a stated 0.05s latency and a 33-foot range.
In my opinion, the right pick comes down to where you feel the pain of carrying two devices. If you want the best audio experience and don't care about a screen on your wrist, I'd buy the ZZU Earbuds — 48 hours of playtime and a larger driver are simply more of what earbuds are for. If you'd rather consolidate and you actually want fitness tracking and notifications, I'd buy the Desong Watch; the 2-in-1 design is the whole point, and the short earbud runtime is the price of that convenience. Ask yourself which one you'd miss more on a normal Tuesday — the long playlist or the wrist notifications. That answer decides it.
For long listening sessions, yes. The ZZU gives up to 9 hours per charge and up to 48 hours with the case, plus a 13.2mm driver tuned for bass. The Desong's earbuds run about 3.5 hours per charge, which is better suited to short sessions and calls.
Yes. The earbuds sit in the watch and charge automatically there. The watch's 300 mAh battery can refill them up to 7 times before the watch itself needs charging.
No. The ZZU T18 is an audio-only product — no screen, no sensors, no fitness metrics. If you want step counting, heart rate, blood oxygen or sleep tracking, the Desong Watch is the one that has those.
Both handle sweat and weather. The ZZU Earbuds carry an IPX7 rating. The Desong Watch is IP67 and rated to 2 meters of water resistance, and its earbuds are designed to cope with sweat, rain and hand washing.
Check the latest price on Amazon for each — this page has a button for that on both products. Pricing shifts, and the specs above are what should drive your decision.
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