Buzz
Acer Gateway GAHR012: Design
The Acer Gateway GAHR012 in-ear earbuds feature an in-ear design with a sleek body. It comes in a white box with a glossy finish. It's not overly glossy, making it look cheap. The glossiness is perfect to the point where it's not blurry. There are no other color options for Acer earbuds, and it only comes in White.
The slightly compact case is a good thing. This means it can easily slip into your jeans pocket. It's also lightweight and easy to carry around. The case has four LED indicator lights to display the battery level. Additionally, there's a button on the case to turn it on/off, as per the user's needs.
At the bottom of the case is the charging port. It has a USB Type-C port for charging. On the back are product details like the model number. The sturdy casing and lightweight design are what we love about it.
Discussing the design of Acer Gateway GAHR012 in-ear earbuds, they feature an in-ear design with silicone eartips. The case contains a total of three ear tips to allow users to choose according to their ear size. The body of the in-ear earbuds is relatively shorter than most of its competitors. It takes no time to get used to them. The earbuds are lightweight and provide a great snug fit. They don't fall out when running or jogging.
The in-ear earbuds feature Auto Power functionality, automatically turning on when removed from the case. They also provide easy-to-learn touch control gestures that work efficiently.
Users will also receive a charging cable included with Acer Gateway GAHR012.
Acer Gateway GAHR012: Performance
First things first: connectivity. The Acer Gateway GAHR012 earbuds rely on Bluetooth version 5.0 to connect to smartphones. The device is compatible with both Android and iPhone smartphones. We've used them with both OS devices, and the results are almost identical. It also works with laptops and PCs running Windows.
The connectivity range of the in-ear earbuds is sufficient. The output starts to decline as the range increases beyond 10 meters.
Acer Gateway GAHR012 is equipped with 9mm drivers with a frequency response from 20Hz to 20000Hz. The output sound may not be the best in quality, but it's not bad either. It's not overly bass-heavy and provides an acceptable level of bass. The vocals are clear, but we feel they could be more detailed.
Gesture controls on the earbuds are effective. There's a small black touchpad on the earbud. A short press on it will play or pause music. It can also be used to answer calls with the same gesture. Conversely, to end a call, you'll need to long-press. These gestures can be performed on either earbud.
However, adjusting the volume will require both earbuds. Pressing and holding on the left earbud will decrease the volume, while pressing and holding on the right will increase the volume.
The earbuds also support voice assistants. Triple-clicking on the left and right will launch Siri/Google Assistant. This is slightly cumbersome as you may not always get the clicks right due to how small the touchpad is. Even when you successfully trigger the voice assistant, it takes a while for it to understand your command and then execute it.
As for call quality on Acer Gateway GAHR012, there's certainly an echo in the background of calls. You feel that hollow/empty feeling, especially when you're not talking and the person on the other end is also quiet.
There's no noise cancellation feature on the earbuds, and external noise will impact your audio experience on the device. That's a downside when most of its competitors offer noise cancellation features. However, the IPX4-rated in-ear earbuds mean they're sweat and splash resistant.
Acer Gateway GAHR012: Battery
Acer claims the earbuds can last up to 4 hours on a single charge. In our testing, we found that the Acer Gateway GAHR012 falls short by 30 minutes compared to the claimed battery life. It manages to extend the battery life to 3 hours and around 30 minutes on a single charge.
To charge the earbuds, the device comes with a charging case that helps extend the overall battery life to 24 hours. The inclusion of a USB Type-C charging port is welcomed as smartphone companies have shifted to USB Type-C charging ports for all mid-range devices. The case also provides fast charging feature, an added convenience.
Observations
The Acer Gateway GAHR012 TWS in-ear earbuds feature a sturdy yet lightweight design with fast charging support. The missing features are the lack of noise cancellation and average sound quality. It has faced stiff competition from rivals like OnePlus Buds Z, Realme Buds Air 2, and Redmi EarBuds S. Priced at 1.1 million VND, the Acer Gateway GAHR012 may not be accessible to its target audience but could also be a very interesting experience for Acer fans.
