Pairing and Customization

The Tronsmart Apollo Air+ uses the relatively premium Qualcomm QCC3046 chip with native Bluetooth 5.2 support, and I had no issues pairing it with my phone on Bluetooth 5.0, my laptop on Bluetooth 5.1, and my PC with the Intel AX210 NIC on Bluetooth 5.2. Pairing is quite simple since it comes up as a new device collectively, a set, and pairing can also be done with a single ear bud out for mono playback if so desired. There are handy voice prompts in English, at least by default, which alert you to the various stages of the process. Despite the newer chipset, not much has changed as far as codec support goes, with Qualcomm aptX being the best option on most Android devices, other than the basic SBC codec. This means you do not get any aptX HD or LDAC support, unfortunately. On iOS, we just have the AAC codec to go on.


These earbuds are also supported by the first-party Tronsmart mobile app available on both Android and iOS. I can't speak for the poor reviews on either app store, but a lot of people seem disgruntled over their TWS sets not being supported, which in itself isn't an issue here. Once the app is installed, you will be prompted to give it permission to access local media and then search for the supported device. It takes less than a minute to get going, just make sure the phone is already paired to the earbuds. Once done, you are taken to the home page corresponding to the Apollo Air+ itself.


The menu has the option to change the language, with English being the default when installed from an English-set app store. There is a list of FAQs for various supported devices, but it happened to be empty for the Apollo Air+... okay then! The customer service and "About us" sections are self-explanatory, and I did have the latest version of the app already, so checking for updates was futile. Navigate to the home page to check for firmware updates, if applicable, for the earbuds themselves, or apply the update if there is one. With these recent releases that did not have an update available, I can't tell you more about the firmware updating process.


There are individual icons for each of the two earbuds. Clicking on either temporarily highlights it while also pulling up a battery level indicator that isn't very quantifiable, albeit more useful than the charge indicator on the battery case. The three operating modes—ambient on, ANC off, and ANC on—can be selected here too, with ANC off the default state. The other two menus at the bottom relate to onboard controls in the form of a touch sensor in each earbud on the face plate where the logo is situated. Use the app to customize what specific actions do, such as single or double tapping for such actions as changing the mode, volume control, media playback, phone call controls, and pulling up the smart assistant on the platform of your choice. There is also some EQ customization, but, and this is my biggest issue here, with just a choice of a few presets without an EQ chart, there certainly is no user-customizability here. It means you have to rely on what Tronsmart thinks the various presets will do.