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Anker's new $139 earbuds launch in Japan with a privacy question

Anker's Liberty Buds 2 cost about $139 and match AirPods Pro 3 on noise canceling in one test. Chinese data laws are the catch for some buyers.

By the Dashline deskSource: Tech Times
Anker's new $139 earbuds launch in Japan with a privacy question
Photo: NeONBRAND neonbrand, CC0

Anker has launched the Liberty Buds 2 in Japan for 21,990 yen, about $139. The company calls them its most affordable Liberty-series earbuds so far. They launched on October 29, 2026, and only in Japan. The material does not mention any other country.

What you get

The buds weigh 4.6 grams each, the lightest in Anker's Liberty lineup. They come in Midnight Black, Pearl White and Greyish Purple. Each earbud has six microphones plus two sensors that pick up skull vibrations from your voice, which helps calls sound clear in noisy places.

  • Battery: 8 hours with noise canceling on, 10 hours off, and 36 hours with the case
  • Connection: Bluetooth 5.4, with LDAC, AAC and SBC audio formats
  • Water resistance: IPX5 rating
  • Charging: USB-C, and wireless charging is supported

The chip and the test results

The Liberty Buds 2 use Anker's Thus chip, first seen in the pricier Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro. It does its calculations inside the memory itself instead of shuttling data back and forth. Anker's published material says this cuts delay and power use. The Liberty 5 Pro has more microphones, a touchscreen case and an AI note-taking feature that the Liberty Buds 2 lack.

Tester scarbir.com gave the Liberty Buds 2 a 19 out of 20 for noise canceling, the same score as Apple's AirPods Pro 3. It rated call quality higher than the AirPods Pro 3.

The privacy question

Anker is headquartered in Shenzhen, China, and incorporated under Chinese law. The article points to China's National Intelligence Law, which requires organizations to support state intelligence work. China's Data Security Law and Cybersecurity Law add similar duties to hand over data on request. These apply no matter where the products are sold.

Anker's privacy policy says it does not sell user data to third parties. The article notes that a policy cannot override Chinese law. Earbuds with microphones make that point more relevant. In 2025 Anker also reached a $450,000 civil settlement with the New York Attorney General, without admitting wrongdoing.

What is not known yet

In September 2025, Rep. John Moolenaar asked the U.S. Department of Commerce to investigate Anker. Elise Stefanik and Sen. Rick Scott sent letters raising similar concerns. The material does not say what has come of those requests. It also does not say when, or whether, the Liberty Buds 2 will reach the U.S.

The takeaway

If you buy earbuds with microphones, weigh the maker's home-country data laws alongside price and sound quality.

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