Moto Buds Ultra 27 earbuds with wing fins sitting securely in a person's ears during a phone call.

Moto Buds Ultra 27 Take Calls on a Nod, With Wing Fins Holding Them in Place

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Written by Flynn Matthews

2026-11-06

Answering a call with both hands full usually means hunting for a tiny touch panel by your ear. Motorola’s Moto Buds Ultra 27 offers another way. Nod to accept a call, shake your head to decline it.

The earbuds keep the familiar stemmed shape, but their small wing-like fins curve over the top of each earpiece rather than wrapping around the outside of the ear. The stems are short and flattened. Two colors are available: Pantone Reflecting Pond, a deep blue, and Pantone Temple Gray, a lighter tone with warmer accents along the stems.

Designer: Motorola

Wing-shaped fin tips fitting snugly around the outer ear of an earbud.
A person in profile wearing earbuds while tilting their head to nod.
Earbuds resting in an open charging case beside a smartphone on a desk.
Side view of a silver earbud showing its stabilizing wing fin.

Features of the moto buds ultra 27

Head gestures must be switched on in the companion Moto Buds app before they work. Wear detection pauses playback when you remove a bud. Dual Connection keeps two devices linked at the same time, which helps if you move between a laptop and a phone.

Motorola’s design choices here echo its wider push into distinctive hardware, and its Motorola 2026 Razr with Swarovski crystals and a Pantone finish shows how far the brand is willing to go with color and detail.

Each bud combines an 11mm dynamic driver for bass with a balanced armature for higher frequencies. Bose SoundDesign tuning shapes the overall sound. Bose QuietControl active noise cancellation reduces background noise, while Transparency Mode lets outside sound through. On a train platform, that difference matters: blocking the rumble is not the same as hearing the announcement.

A man on a city sidewalk taking a phone call with earbuds in.

The phone does much of the heavy lifting for the most advanced features. AI Live Translate needs a compatible Motorola phone with the translate app built in. Language and regional support vary, and not every language works at launch. The earbuds play the translated speech, but the phone does the translating.

Woman jogging outdoors wearing earbuds that stay secure during movement.

A long press on the left earbud opens Motorola Qira on supported phones, so you can ask a cooking question without touching your phone. Qira requires a Motorola account and an internet or cellular connection for full functionality. Motorola says “Hey Qira” voice activation will arrive in the coming months, so fully hands-free assistant access is not available at launch.

Hand holding a small earbud case open to show the earbuds inside.

Motorola rates the buds for up to 8 hours of playback, or 37 hours including the charging case. Those figures are approximate and depend on temperature, volume and battery condition. Motorola’s total of 37 hours including the charging case is the figure to rely on.

Earbuds placed on a wooden table next to a black smartphone.

The buds carry an IP57 rating, which covers dust, splashes and brief submersion. Motorola warns against salt water and charging while wet. The buds also support wireless charging and Google Find Hub, which helps locate a lost bud or case.

Person at a desk nodding during a video call while wearing earbuds.

If you’re weighing wireless earbuds against Apple’s lineup, Apple’s upcoming event, with foldable iPhones and AirPods 5 is worth a look for a rival take on premium buds and phone pairing.

Pricing is set for Europe and the UK but not for the United States. Motorola lists a starting MSRP of €199. Motorola says the buds will reach the US in the coming months, with no confirmed price or release date. Until then, the head gesture controls and wing fins are the clearest reason to look at these buds, and the AI features depend heavily on which phone you own.

Close view of earbud fit inside the ear with the wing fin visible.
Moto Buds Ultra 27 earbuds with wing fins sitting securely in a person's ears during a phone call.

Source: yankodesign.com

Frequently asked questions

How do you answer calls on Moto Buds Ultra 27?

You nod to accept a call and shake your head to decline it. Head gestures must be switched on in the companion Moto Buds app before they work.

How long does the Moto Buds Ultra 27 battery last?

Motorola rates the buds for up to 8 hours of playback, or 37 hours including the charging case. These figures are approximate and depend on temperature, volume and battery condition.

Are Moto Buds Ultra 27 water resistant?

The buds carry an IP57 rating, which covers dust, splashes and brief submersion. Motorola warns against salt water and charging while wet.

Are Moto Buds Ultra 27 available in the US?

Motorola says the buds will reach the US in the coming months, but no price or release date has been confirmed. Pricing has been set for Europe and the UK, with a starting MSRP of €199.

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