Accessories

The HONOR Earbuds Open is better than expected

Excellent sound, cool features

Published

March 3, 2025

It’s extremely gratifying whenever I get the chance to review devices that match my preferences to T. That’s how I feel after using the HONOR Earbuds Open. That wasn’t the case initially. I was excited, but I had my reservations.

This being my first open-ear earbuds in a while, I was cautiously optimistic on practically everything about it. The fit, the sound quality, and the noise cancellation were my primary concerns. I just haven’t tried anything in this category that satisfied all three.

On paper, the HONOR Earbuds Open appears to have all the said features.

Design: Crescent Curve, Full Moon Body, Slimline Ear hook, Ultra-thin Design
Weight: 7.8g
Color: Polar Gold and Polar Black

Sound:

Acoustic-Grade Sound Quality
- 16mm toroidal multi-magnetic circuit unit
- Highly sensitive speaker with extra large amplitude
- High elasticity TPU composite film sheet
Bass Surging
- Industry-first Virtual Bass Algorithm
Active Noise Cancellation for Open-Ear Design
Surround Cinema Stereo Listening
- Spatial Audio
Environmental Noise Cancellation
Press/Swipe Control

Battery & charging

58mAh battery per earbud; typically up to 6 hours
480mAh Charging Case:
Typical music playing time with charging case: up to 22 hours
USB Type-C

Water resistance: IP54
Bluetooth 5.2

The right fit

As I review more and more devices, their form, feel, and fit start to weigh more heavily in how I evaluate them. The same is true for earbuds. But most of what I’ve tried in recent years are in-ear ones. And as I’ve mentioned in previous reviews, I can’t stand wearing them for over four hours.

That’s not the case with the HONOR Earbuds Open. It took me a while to get used to wearing them, but once I did, I didn’t have a problem having them on for an entire work day and then some. They’re that comfortable.

It’s great that I don’t have to stick them into my ears. Because no matter what I’ve tried, I just can’t keep in-ears, well, inside my ears for very long. I get irritated after a while.

The HONOR Earbuds Open is true to its word when it said it’s a comfortable wear. The material doesn’t irritate any part of my ears that it comes in contact with. And the open ear design means there’s no foreign object entering the holes at the side of my head.

Superb sound

The bass was bassing. This was a standout feature to me and HONOR even made it a point to make sure we listened to bass-heavy tracks.

For this particular exercise, I first listened to “Whiplash” by aespa. It has a disco dance vibe with thumping bass in the hook part of the song. The HONOR Earbuds Open delivered stellar bass. It’s the right level that you feel it just enough without sacrificing the overall sound quality.

And the sound quality is on par with some of the best earbuds and headphones that I’ve tried. It just wasn’t the level of quality I was expecting from an open-ear design. The quality was really close if not just the same as the SteelSeries Arctis Gamebuds and just a hair under the Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro which has been my primary earbuds since reviewing it.

I went ahead and listened to the rest of my favorite tracks and I was just pleasantly surprised with the experience. The audio was clean, clear, and crisp.

Stunning silence

The audio quality was aided by the incredible noise cancellation technology on the HONOR Earbuds Open. It’s something you can turn on/off by long-pressing the surface area of either earbud.

When you toggle on/off, you definitely “hear” the noise cancellation in play. Again, for something with an open-ear design, the way it’s able to silence your surroundings is crazy good.

Easy controls

Controls are mapped as taps, press and hold, and swipes. You can customize it on the HONOR AI Space app. As mentioned earlier, turning the noise cancellation on/off is done by pressing and holding either earbud.

The other controls are double tap and triple tap on either side as well as swiping up and down. The swipe is reserved for controlling the volume but the taps can be mapped to your liking. It can be to pause/play, next track, and previous track.

Overall, it’s quite intuitive if you’re used to using in-ear headphones.

AI Translate

Another feature that I’ve so far only seen on the Galaxy Buds3 Pro is the ability to translate through the earbuds.

To test this, we connected the HONOR Earbuds Open to the HONOR Magic7 RSR and watched a recorded version of LE SSERAFIM Chaewon’s casual live broadcast.

Using the Interpreter mode on AI Translate, the device listens to the speaker (in this case, Chaewon). It first translates on the phone and then a voice relays and plays the translation on the Earbuds Open.

The translation isn’t perfect, but it’s close enough that you should still be able to understand what’s being communicated.

Is the HONOR Buds Open your GadgetMatch?

You might have guessed already by how glowingly I’ve spoken about it. The HONOR Earbuds Open is a SuperSwipe for me. It will immediately become my go-to pocket earbuds owing to its combination of being comfortable to wear, sounding great, and a cool extra AI translation feature.

There’s still the matter of pricing which, as of writing, isn’t available yet. But as long as it isn’t absurd, this has been one of the easiest gadgets to recommend. Of course, if circumstances allow, it’s still best to go to a store and try one for yourself. Comfort and fit matter a lot for a device like this and you have to make sure it’s to your liking.

Outside of that, I’m confident people will enjoy its sound quality, noise cancellation, and other features. It deserves the GadgetMatch Seal of Approval.

Accessories

G-DRAGON is CASETiFY’s first ever Global Brand Ambassador

Right on time with the brand’s 15th-year milestone

Published

January 22, 2026

Vincenz

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

One of K-Pop’s most iconic soloists of all time has finally partnered up with the globally-renowned case maker.

And this isn’t like any other CASETiFY’s K-Pop Collab, this is much grander than that.

i-naugural Brand iCON

You heard that right! CASETiFY reveals their first ever Global Brand Ambassador.

Amassing 25 million Instagram followers, over 1.2 Billion YouTube views, and hitting almost 4 Million Spotify listeners, G-DRAGON has truly marked his footprint as the “King of K-Pop” — more than just being the iconic member of the global hit group BIGBANG.

His long overdue comeback (and world tour) with ‘Übermensch’ last 2025 further proves how massive the VIP (and FAM) community is.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by PEACEMINUSONE®️ (@peaceminusonedotcom)

That said, GD’s influence isn’t limited to the music industry alone. Art and fashion have also witnessed his legendary artistry through his PEACEMINUSONE label. That pretty daisy with a fallen petal is the brand’s most iconic emblem you can see around.

The introduction of his fashion line was connected to music as well. It was introduced way back in 2013 during his ‘COUP D’ETAT’ solo promotions which was a true hit. It was totally evident in the album art’s peace symbol minus that one line.

Wesley Ng, CASETiFY’s CEO and Co-Founder (who’s also fashion-savvy), said that “welcoming G-DRAGON as the brand’s first Global iCON is a powerful statement.” This will not only amplify the reach of the already-popular case maker, it will also influence the brand’s creative direction.

After all, one’s artistic expression can be seen easily with the cases we rock out and about.

i-conic CHROMATIC

In line with this milestone also lies a new collection of cases and accessories.

The all-new CHROMATIC Collection is built around two concepts: FORMS & HUES. First, the CHROMATIC: FORMS set is headlined by the premium-made Alloy Ripple Case with an upgraded aluminum material.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Speaking of aluminum, the accompanying accessories are all metallic — from the 2-in-1 cross-body chain to custom cube charms for bespoke personalization.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Meanwhile, the CHROMATIC: HUES adds five new vibrant shades to CASETiFY’s ever-popular Ripple Collection through the Neon Ripple Case. These bold range of colors not only embody users’ creativity and self-expression, it also showcases an individual’s overall aesthetics.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

While this isn’t the PEACEMINUSONE collab some of us have initially thought, crossing fingers that will be the next official CASETiFY collab in line.

Pricing and Availability

The brand new CHROMATIC COLLECTION is expected to hit shelves real soon with prices ranging between US$ 10 to US$ 85,

They will be available for purchase on CASETiFY.com and in select CASETiFY Studio retail stores around the world starting on January 26 (Monday).

Accessories

Razer fully unwraps these limited BLACKPINK Edition gaming gear

They are finally coming in your area!

Published

January 22, 2026

Vincenz

Initially teased a month ago, the much-awaited BLACKPINK x Razer collab has finally been revealed for all the BLINKs to see (and purchase).

Hitting the ‘DEADLINE’

ICYMI, BLACKPINK (or K-Pop’s biggest female quartet composed of Jennie, Lisa, Rosé, and Jisoo) started their highly-anticipated ‘DEADLINE’ World Tour just last year.

With Razer’s signature dark black styling paired with BLACKPINK’s bold and iconic pink scheme, this collaboration felt like the perfect match.

Now, if you’re the type of BLINK who still has a severe sepanx (like yours truly), all these limited BLACKPINK-themed gaming gear by Razer might just be the cure.

That said, here are all the BLACKPINK Edition gaming accessories you should expect from the Singaporean-American gaming giant.

Ornata V3 Tenkeyless – BLACKPINK Edition

A low-profile RGB keyboard with clicky Mecha-Membrane switches.

DeathAdder Essential – BLACKPINK Edition

Gaming mouse with ergonic comfort and precision alongside mechanical switches and programmable buttons.

Gigantus V2 – Medium – BLACKPINK Edition

Razer’s smooth and durable mouse mat with that BLACKPINK flair

Enki X – BLACKPINK Edition

Badly-needed gaming chair for all-day comfort combined with BLACKPINK’s aesthetics — made for your marathon gaming sessions.

Pricing and Availability

Here are the SRP of the special Razer x BLACKPINK Edition gaming essentials:

Ornata V3 Tenkeyless – BLACKPINK Edition = US$ 119.99
DeathAdder Essential – BLACKPINK Edition = US$ 49.99
Gigantus V2 – Medium – BLACKPINK Edition = US$ 29.99
Enki X – BLACKPINK Edition = US$ 499.99

These will all be released worldwide (excluding Canada and Japan) by the 2nd quarter of 2026.

Currently, Razer has set-up a pop-up store in Hong Kong. BLINKs in the area can experience all the special gaming gear with dedicated photo zones in the scene.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Richard Lai (@richardlaihk)

This popped right in time as BLACKPINK will hold the Hong Kong stop of their ‘DEADLINE’ tour for three straight days — from January 24 (Saturday) until January 26, 2026 (Monday).

Moreover, these might just be the perfect complement to the quatro’s upcoming ‘DEADLINE’ EP by February 27, 2026.

Might as well, an advanced 10th year anniversary gift this August 2026.

Accessories

Sony ships its LinkBuds Fit Hatsune Miku edition to the United States

It will come with the special acrylic stand.

Published

January 15, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Hatsune Miku is finding her way everywhere. Last year, the pop icon built partnerships where you might have least expected one. Now, a recent collaboration has made it to new shores. Sony is shipping its recent partnership with Hatsune Miku in the United States.

In the middle of last year, Sony released a limited edition of the LinkBuds Fit featuring Hatsune Miku. Inside, the special variant is indistinguishable from the original series. However, it will have special colorway options, including the icon’s signature green.

Now, the limited edition is now available in the United States. It will be available for US$ 249.99.

Like the first launch, buying the special edition of the earbuds will give fans a limited-edition acrylic earbud stand featuring newly illustrated artwork by Ogipote. It also features two original HoloModels of the character.

Further, those who purchased the device will get access to a special campaign song called “BELIEVE DAY” and an animated performance of the same song. Fans need only to register their product and install the HoloModels app.