Soundcore, please bring this feature back to earbuds

Most of the earbud cases that come across my desk do nothing more than charge the buds inside. But recently, more companies have been treating them like mini gadgets, which is exciting. JBL has experimented with touchscreens, Soundcore tried a reflective lid with a tiny display on the Liberty 4 Pro, and CMF implemented a fun, tactile Smart Dial in the Buds Pro 2 that doubles as a fidget toy.

These ideas show promise and new ways to control your earbuds without pulling out your phone. But not every new trick has to be about controlling audio. Sometimes, the best case features step outside the box entirely. That’s why the Soundcore P40i’s built-in phone stand felt so refreshing. Instead of another way to toggle ANC or EQ, it gave me something unexpectedly useful: a stable place to set my phone down.

Why the P40i’s phone stand just makes sense

There’s a small plastic tab tucked inside the P40i’s charging case that flips up and props your phone at a fixed angle. That’s it. No moving parts to fumble with, no complicated design — just a simple feature that turns a pair of budget earbuds into something unexpectedly versatile.

It’s especially handy when traveling or killing time between tasks. On a plane tray table, in a coffee shop, or even at your desk, the P40i case saves me from the awkward ritual of balancing my phone against a coffee cup, wallet, or whatever object happens to be nearby. Instead of hunting for makeshift supports, I can just flip the case open, and I’ve got a stable viewing stand wherever I go.

Better still, it works with just about any phone. Whether you’re using a smaller compact model like the Galaxy S25 or a big-screen flagship like the Pixel 10 Pro XL, the stand holds it steady. Sometimes I’ll just pocket the buds and use the case on its own as a kickstand. For example, while I’m cooking dinner in the kitchen, I can set my phone in the P40i case to follow a recipe video or stream something in the background. It’s a little piece of convenience that turns an ordinary case into a surprisingly handy everyday tool.

And unlike most phone cases with built-in stands, the P40i’s approach doesn’t force you into a trade-off. I’ve tried slim cases like Spigen’s Slim Armor that include a small kickstand, but the thin plastic pieces snapped on me — twice. Go the other route with a rugged stand, and you end up with a chunky case that bulks up your phone and makes it harder to slide into a pocket. By moving the stand to the earbuds case, Soundcore sidesteps both problems: your phone stays slim, and you still get a durable, reliable stand when you need it.

In our review, we found that the earbuds themselves were a mixed bag. They have long-lasting battery life, strong ANC, boomy bass, a loose fit, and sluggish controls. But the case? That was the hidden star of the show. Lightweight, portable, and with that clever stand built in, it turned out to be the most useful design detail.

The P40i’s earbuds may not be Soundcore’s best, but its case deserves a legacy. The built-in phone stand is exactly the kind of small, clever design flourish that makes you wonder why no one else thought of it sooner. So here’s my plea: Soundcore (and anyone else), please bring the phone stand back. Put it in your budget buds. Put it in your flagships. Put it everywhere. Because not every feature needs to be flashy. Sometimes, the best ones are the simplest.