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Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo review

Are open-ear wireless earbuds a runner’s best friend?

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As a runner, I know firsthand how important it is to find comfortable earbuds that can keep up with every mile. With the rise of runners around the world, the search for the perfect accessory has become a top priority for many.

In a market filled with wireless earbuds, Xiaomi has taken a smart approach with the Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo. This pair of wireless earbuds come with an open-ear design.

Although it faces competition from other open-ear wearables, bone conduction headphones, and traditional in-ear wireless earbuds, the Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo strikes the perfect balance.

It fits comfortably between these niche markets, offering a unique blend of comfort, style, function, and cutting-edge technology.

Sleek and stylish

@gadgetmatch Meet the Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo, Xiaomi’s newest open-ear earbuds promising all-day comfort ✨ #fyp #fypage #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp #fypシ ♬ original sound – GadgetMatch

Taking out the Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo out of the box, it came in an oval, sophisticated gray case adorned with a shiny, metallic hinge. It looked like a love child between a banded agate and a smoky quartz.

Inside, you can find an odd-shaped pair of wireless earbuds that looks ritzy. Its sleek and modern design are aesthetically pleasing enough to be worn as an accessory. It perfectly matches my earrings and necklace, which are the jewelry I use when out for a run.

The OpenWear Stereo used flexible plastics and finished the design with soft-touch coatings, making it lightweight and comfortable to wear even for long periods of time.

Ergonomically, it’s designed to conform to the shape of the head and ears, and adapts to different shapes and sizes.

It rested comfortably on my temples and ensured a secure fit, even when I was sprinting or doing plyometrics.

Always hooked

My issue with most wireless earbuds is that they hurt my ears when worn for a long time. If they’re lightweight, they fall off easily, and I risk losing them during strenuous activities.

I often have to remove them whenever someone speaks to me on the street or in the gym.

The Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo solves this issue with its open-ear design, allowing me to play music without blocking my ear canals, so I can still be aware of my surroundings.

Previously, I went to the gym before heading straight to judge a Jump Rope Dance Competition. The performances started, and I forgot I was wearing the Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo—that’s how featherweight they are.

I could hear the music clearly while getting enchanted by performances from aspiring jump rope athletes. The best part? It didn’t cause ear fatigue.

Music for One (or Two?)

I’m no audiophile, but I do have Spotify playing music for over ten hours a day. With its design and technology, the Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo gave me my own little world while still being aware of the world around me.

That’s how richly detailed the sound is—even when cars are honking outside.

When lifting weights or doing a tempo run, I repeatedly listened to BINI’s “Pantropiko” and “Huwag Muna Tayong Umuwi” without worrying about others hearing, thanks to its 10mm sound leakage reduction.

As long as I maintain my distance, people won’t get distracted by my songs. However, your music can be shared if a friend also owns a pair of OpenWear Stereo.

Both pairs of earbuds should be connected to a Xiaomi smartphone or tablet at the same time, allowing both users to share music and jam together.

Personally, I prefer listening solo, but if you’re someone who likes to share, don’t forget to download the Xiaomi Earbuds app.

The Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo’s settings can be customized through the app, which is available in the App Store and Play Store. You can personalize it to suit your preferences, giving you full control of the device and your music.

Run, Boy, Run

I used the Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo primarily for strength training and easy runs. It made me approachable in the gym, as I could engage in conversation without removing the earbuds.

I also felt confident running outdoors without worrying about sudden drizzles or near-accidents. It has an IP54 rating, which makes it resistant to water, sweat, and splashes.

When torrential rains poured in Manila, many runners stayed indoors to complete their workouts. I, however, waited for the downpour to ease into a drizzle.

I decided that a 30-minute run in light rain would be the perfect test for the Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo.

All eyes were on me and my shiny, shimmering wearable as I dropped everything to meet the rain.

I didn’t need to take out my iPhone while running, as the OpenWear Stereo is compatible with it. The smart touch controls made it easy to skip tracks and find a beat that matched my cadence.

I ended up playing “Good Luck, Babe!” by Chappell Roan for an extra boost of motivation.

Safe to say, the OpenWear Stereo didn’t malfunction, and it stayed securely in place throughout the 5K run. It’s truly ideal for runners—no cap.

Is This Your GadgetMatch?

The Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo thrives on flexibility, offering a versatile user experience. It’s not just made for runners but for everyone on the go.

It’s easily a GadgetMatch for those who want to stay aware of their surroundings without compromising sound quality or battery life.

After all, it lasts a full day on a single charge, is comfortable enough to wear for long periods, plays richly detailed music without leakage, and stays securely in place during any activity.

The open-ear design also gives it an edge over similar devices, especially because it comes at a price that won’t break the bank.

The Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo retails at PhP 6,199.

Entertainment

Project Hail Mary now on Prime Video

One of this year’s highest rated and top grossing movies

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Courtesy: Amazon MGM Studios

Project Hail Mary, one of this year’s highest-rated and highest-grossing films so far, is now available on Prime Video.

It has been just three months since the sci-fi hit was shown on cinemas, and now, viewers have the opportunity to either rewind the movie or witness it for the first time.

Based on Andy Weir’s bestselling novel, the film stars Ryan Gosling, Sandra Hüller, James Ortiz, Lionel Boyce, Ken Leung, Milana Vayntrub, and Priya Kansara.

It is directed by Academy Award winning filmmakers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, with screenplay by Drew Goddard.

Prime Video subscribers across more than 240 countries and territories have the chance to stream the movie.

Project Hail Mary features science teacher Ryland Grace (Gosling), who wakes up on a spaceship light years from home with no recollection of who he is or how he got there.

As his memory returns, he begins to uncover his mission: solve the riddle of the mysterious substance causing the sun to die out.

He must call on his scientific knowledge and unorthodox ideas to save everything on Earth from extinction. But an unexpected friendship means he may not have to do it alone.

Now Playing: Project Hail Mary

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Features

Why I stopped chasing grid-worthy and started eating peso-worthy food

Grab’s 5-Star Eats saved me, and I’ve been ordering smarter ever since

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La Union has always held a complicated kind of real estate in my chest. I wrote about it early, before the bagnet boom and before I’m Drunk, I Love You made it a pilgrimage site for broken hearts.

The piece went viral and tourism spiked. I’ve quietly felt a little responsible for that ever since.

Three years ago, I went back to reconcile with someone who had broken mine. We rebuilt things the only way I know how: through food and sunsets, slowly and without any real plan.

It didn’t work out. He was gone two years later. And this year, I drove up again with my friends who’ve seen all fourteen years of me, specifically to replace those memories with better ones.

What I didn’t expect was to need saving from the food. The coffee I used to swear by tasted like warm brown water. A restaurant I’d always loved wouldn’t extend basic hospitality on a quiet, off-peak afternoon.

One of our watermelon shakes had a fly in it, and we genuinely spent a minute debating whether it was tapioca. Even my go-to dish from the place I’d been hyping for years landed completely flat, and I ate it quietly thinking I could cook better than this at home.

It stings when a place you loved starts coasting on its own legend.

When the ratings know better

Halfway through the trip, I gave up on memory and opened Grab. I let the star ratings decide where we’d eat, because I was tired of being let down by places I’d been vouching for.

That’s how we found Grab’s 5-Star Eats, a curated list that runs on real diner reviews, not sponsored placement or algorithm luck. To make the list, a restaurant has to prove itself at volume — a handful of glowing testimonials won’t move the needle.

Service gets weighted too: prep time, order accuracy, whether what arrived actually matched what was ordered. And food quality is measured the most practical way possible, where what the photo promises, the plate has to deliver.

We dined in at one place and ordered delivery to our stay from another. None of them were photogenic, and they certainly weren’t the posh spots making rounds on TikTok and Instagram.

They looked like roadside canteens and family-run eateries, the kind you’d drive past on the way to the beach without a second glance. Every single one was excellent.

After the trip, I reached out to a former mentor who, like me, had spent enough summers in La Union to feel like it belonged to us a little. He said the best restaurants there have always been away from the beach and the hype, and away from the content.

The list I didn’t know I was already following

When I got home to Kapitolyo, I had a quiet revelation that I probably should’ve had a lot sooner. The neighborhood is a well-known food hub, and I’ve been ordering and dining out here on instinct.

When I pulled up the 5-Star Eats list after La Union, I realized that many of the places I already rotate through were already on it. I’d been eating well by accident, and the list had been validating my choices the whole time.

BAC’s Sisig Express, where I get my silog fix on mornings I can’t be bothered to cook, turns out to be one of the top-ranked spots on the local list.

I found that out during the busiest week I’ve had this year, when a sudden shift at work sent everything sideways and I ordered the sisig, the Shanghai rolls, and the tocilog to get through the day. It delivered, as it always does.

And Lao Tai Pei in Kapitolyo, my go-to for dinner dates with the people I actually want to spend time with, the place I’ve been half-gatekeeping because it feels too good to share — it’s on the list too. Ranked exactly where it deserves to be.

I wasn’t surprised. I was glad that more people would finally find their way there through something more reliable than a viral reel.

Peso-worthy over grid-worthy, every time

Here’s what I’ve come to understand about food content: it’s beautiful, and it’s largely useless.

Social media gave small restaurants a real shot at finding an audience, and that part is genuinely good. Somewhere along the way, though, people confused visibility for quality.

Now, every café has a grid, a vibe, and a color palette. You can’t actually tell what’s worth your money until you’re already sitting there, 300 pesos poorer, eating something that looks stunning in natural light and tastes like nothing.

I spent years chasing the aesthetic: the plating and the whole production of a well-styled meal. I still eat with my eyes, but I’ve gotten older, and I’ve learned that the experience has to match what I paid for. That’s not a small thing to ask for.

What I appreciate most about Grab’s 5-Star Eats is that it doesn’t trade in aesthetics. It trades in accountability.

The ratings reflect what diners actually experienced, from the accuracy of the order to the quality of what landed on the table, and the list only holds restaurants that can sustain that standard over time.

Grid-worthy is easy to manufacture. Peso-worthy has to be earned.

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Entertainment

The new LG OLED evo AI G6 is trusted by Hollywood professionals

New TV features 12-bit processing, peak brightness, anti-reflective screen

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LG Electronics recently hosted an exclusive industry showcase at Los Angeles-based post-production company Picture Shop, giving Hollywood’s top technical minds a first look at the new LG OLED evo AI G6.

The event gathered esteemed cinematic experts, including veteran color scientist Joshua Pines (Blade Runner, The Revenant). He was joined by cinematographer and Johanna Coelho and colorist Tony D’Amore from the award-winning series The Pitt.

Together, the esteemed guests evaluated the consumer display to check whether it truly respects a filmmaker’s original creative intent.

The LG OLED evo AI G6 introduces Hyper Radiant Color Technology, paired with Brightness Booster Ultra.

Together, the features push screen brightness pushing screen brightness up to 3.9 times higher than conventional models.

Additionally, driven by the new α (Alpha) 11 AI Processor Gen3, the television balances these piercing highlights while preserving true blacks and micro-details within deep shadows.

A major talking point for the panel of experts was the G6’s upgraded 12-bit internal video processing pipeline, a significant jump from traditional 10-bit systems.

This architectural upgrade completely eliminates color banding and digital noise across subtle gradations, achieving an image quality profile that reliably mirrors high-end studio reference monitors.

Furthermore, the screen halves ambient light reflection compared to previous generations, earning it an official “Reflection-Free Premium” certification from a global validation body.

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