Range, Battery Life & General Functionality
AirPods, according to Apple, are able to operate within a range of about 12 meters (or 40 feet), while AirDots offer a slightly shorter range of about 10 meters (or 32 feet), according to Xiaomi.
AirPods marginally outperform AirDots when it comes to battery life, too, with Apple quoting up-to 5-hours of audio playback on a single charge, and Xiaomi quoting 4-hours for AirDots — though both come in a similar, “pack of dental floss”-sized charging case.
Both AirPods and AirDots will allow you to conduct phone calls, though AirDots are ultimately not recommended for users who plan to use them mostly for this purpose, as they reportedly offer much less intuitive navigation and customization features, in comparison to AirPods.
Likewise, both will automatically link-up with a connected smartphone upon being placed inside your ear — although AirPods, bolstered by the power of Apple’s W1 SoC, do connect faster — though the difference appears to be negligible there, too.