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The HONOR Earbuds Open is better than expected

Excellent sound, cool features

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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

HONOR Earbuds Open

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

CASETiFY Match: Finding the right case for your Galaxy Z8 Series phone

Cases that match your personality

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CASETiFY cases for Galaxy Z8 series phones

A phone case can be more than protection. It can also be a way to show off your interests, personality, and the little things that make you, well, you.

For our CASETiFY Match for the Galaxy Z8 Series, we asked the team one question: Why was this CASETiFY design your Match?

From Spider-Man fandom and capybara obsession to feline-inspired art and snake motifs, here are the designs that found their way into our team’s everyday carry, plus a couple of bonus picks worth checking out.

Rodneil: A little New York energy for a certified web-head

If it wasn’t obvious enough, I’m a certified web-head. I love anything and everything Spider-Man, especially the iconic red-and-blue motif. Though, if we’re being honest, I’m more partial to the red.

I had my eyes on the Spider-Man suit design for the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra and the Spider-Man Mask Snappy Grip Stand. Unfortunately, those designs aren’t available for the Galaxy Z Fold8.

So, I went with a design that gives off a bit of New York energy instead. It still pairs nicely with the Spidey Snappy Grip Stand, letting me bring a little of that Spider-Man vibe to my everyday setup.

V: Keeping it cool with capybaras

I’ve been a capybara stan since 2020, long before the world finally caught up with just how cute and chill these animals are. Seeing them get the recognition they deserve has been a source of much excitement.

Finding cool and cute capybara cases and accessories for the phones I use every day, however, hasn’t always been easy.

That’s where Deville Dewil’s capybara collection comes in. It fills that gap while making my Galaxy Z Fold8 feel like an even more personal accessory.

At this point, I’d like to identify as a capy/bara.

Luigi: A cat design that’s playful without being too loud

There’s no shortage of cat-themed cases out there. If you’re a cat lover like me, chances are you’ve considered one at some point.

The tricky part is finding a design that isn’t too whimsical or loud. I love the little furballs, but I still want something sleek and clean.

CASETiFY’s cat collection speaks to that balance. In particular, this design by Catwheezie blends artistry with a touch of whimsy. It lets me show off my personality without being too flashy.

MJ: A little reputation energy

I’ve always had a soft spot for snake motifs, and CASETiFY’s Transparent Kingsnake case gives me Taylor Swift’s reputation era energy.

I love how snakes symbolize transformation. As someone who’s always evolving and never afraid to reinvent himself, that meaning feels personal.

The black-and-white design also brings a sleek, rebellious edge. Paired with my Galaxy Z Flip8, it’s giving statement accessory with a little bite.

Bonus Match: Sunglasses at Night

Sometimes, keeping it simple is the way to go. The Sunglasses at Night design is tasteful and understated, letting me show off the actual color of my phone without competing with it.

Bonus Match: Pink Weekly Planner

For the girls (and gaes) who plan their days–and life–ahead. And of course, for when they need to keep their Wednesdays pink.

Find your Match

There’s no single way to find a phone case that feels right. It might be a favorite character, an animal you’ve loved for years, a piece of art, or a symbol that means something to you.

For our team, the right CASETiFY design is the one that brings a little more personality to a device we carry every day.

So, which design would be your Match?

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Accessories

Bose acquires Skullcandy

But both are still separate brands.

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As one of the wisest sages of the 2000s once said, “He was a punk, she did ballet. What more can I say?” Sometimes, opposites attract. Now, two of those opposites in the audio space are coming together: the punk Skullcandy and the ballet-loving Bose.

Today, Bose has announced its acquisition of Skullcandy. The latter will continue to operate as a separate brand but now officially under the Bose umbrella. Although, it’s not a new collaboration as the two brands have previously worked together on devices before. Skullcandy will just have more access to Bose’s technologies moving forward.

Alternatively, Bose will now have access to Skullcandy’s more varied audience. Compared to Bose’s focus on premium products, Skullcandy caters to more alternative lifestyles. Though the brand has since mellowed from its more radical roots, it is still known as one of the alternative brands.

Bose, on the other hand, is still a household name for home audio and noise-cancelling headphones. The new relationship between two polar opposites might be seen as a weird one, but it’s ultimately beneficial to both parties. Besides, both brands were very strong in the 2010s. Keeping both brands going is a boon to audiophiles of the past decade.

SEE ALSO: Sony unveils three premium Walkman music players

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Fujifilm’s new instax Pal 2 and Link WIDE 2 make room for more creative memories

A new pocket camera and a collage-making printer join the instax family.

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Seeing a memory take shape beyond your screen changes how it feels. A favorite photo becomes a print you can tuck into a journal or pin beside your desk, and the everyday moments you capture get a little more room to live.

That was the spirit of Fujifilm’s instax Playhou2e launch in Makati, where visual artist Jill Arteche brought her signature illustrations into the event space.

Her artwork surrounded the latest additions to the instax family, the instax Pal 2 and instax Link WIDE 2. Both devices treat photography as a form of personal expression, from the snapshots you take throughout the day to the printed memories you want to keep close.

A pocket-sized camera that goes wherever you do

The original instax Pal made the case for carrying a camera without a full-sized setup. Its successor, the instax Pal 2, builds on that with a refreshed design and improved image quality.

The palm-sized camera is built for everyday adventures and can capture angles that are awkward to get with a smartphone. Its compact body also makes it easy to bring along if you like documenting your day as it happens.

Fujifilm gave the Pal 2 a semi-matte finish. A new monitor on top lets you review shots right after you take them, and the added viewfinder, control dial, and lever give it a more tactile feel to shoot with.

The specs have moved up, too. The Pal 2 captures 10-megapixel images, double the original’s five megapixels, and its internal storage holds up to 100 images compared with 50 before. A separately sold microSD card adds more room.

The creative options are where the Pal 2 gets playful. It offers 30 effects, so you can give images different moods without editing each one from scratch. Its instax Animation mode strings up to 10 consecutive shots into a flipbook-style animated video.

Transferring your photos is straightforward. The Pal 2 supports wireless Bluetooth transfers, and a USB Type-C connection offers faster transfers to compatible smartphones. From there, you can edit the images and post them to social media or keep them in your camera roll.

Because the Pal 2 is part of the instax ecosystem, its digital photos can also be printed on instant film through compatible instax printers. That means you can shoot first and decide later which moments deserve a physical copy.

Turning your camera roll into something worth keeping

Taking photos is only half the fun. The other half is deciding what to do with the hundreds of images that pile up on our phones.

The instax Link WIDE 2 is Fujifilm’s answer for anyone who collects travel photos or documents celebrations. As the brand’s WIDE-format smartphone printer, it prints at twice the image area of the instax mini format, which leaves more space for group photos and landscapes.

Its biggest new feature is Photo Mixer, which builds scrapbook-style collages from multiple images you pick in the dedicated app. Instead of printing a single photo, you can combine highlights from a trip or a gathering into one larger keepsake.

The app suggests layouts based on your chosen photos and adjusts image sizes, angles, text placement, and fonts to keep the design cohesive. You can then add your own text and stamps. A cutout function identifies people and objects in your photos so you can layer them into the collage.

With Photo Mixer, printing becomes part of the creative process, and your camera roll turns into material for building a visual record of an experience in a single print.

The Link WIDE 2 also gets a design refresh, with two-tone finishes in Duo Beige and Duo Blue. The light and dark surfaces give it a polished look on a shelf or desk, and an illuminated instax logo glows while it prints.

Connectivity has expanded, too. Beyond smartphones and tablets, the printer works with PCs, Fujifilm X Series cameras, and the instax Pal 2, so digital artwork and other compatible images can become physical prints.

A more personal way to keep your memories

The instax Pal 2 and Link WIDE 2 share the idea that photography is a way to express yourself. The Pal 2 makes it easy to capture moments as they happen, and the Link WIDE 2 gives those images a place in the physical world.

Jill Arteche’s artwork at the launch backed that idea up. Her illustrations filled the space with personality and showed how photos and art can make an environment feel more personal. The event also made a case for revisiting and reinterpreting the images we collect.

Taking a photo takes seconds, and printing one can make the memory feel more special. The instax Pal 2 and Link WIDE 2 bring that into everyday life and give your snapshots room for creativity, from the moment you press the shutter to the moment you find a place for the print.


In the Philippines, the Fujifilm instax Pal 2 retails for PhP 10,599, while the Fujifilm instax Link WIDE 2 is priced at PhP 10,999. Both devices are now available on Fujifilm’s authorized stores and retailers nationwide.

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