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Dieter Bohn at The Verge:<\/p>\n
Google is making wireless headphones that are specifically designed to be the first and best option for people who buy Google phones \u2014 just like AirPods are designed for iPhones.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
A couple quick thoughts from me:<\/p>\n
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- Obviously these are corded wireless earbuds, but are not truly wireless like AirPods.<\/li>\n
- One of the things I really like about AirPods is being able to wear just one. This kind of corded design makes it really difficult to do that without hurting your ear.<\/li>\n
- Aesthetically, these remind me a lot of the i.am+ Buttons<\/a>, but less blingy. Not a bad thing. If you don’t like the stem on the AirPods, perhaps you prefer this.<\/li>\n
- The touch controls are only on the right earbud. That’s kind of weird.<\/li>\n
- They don’t turn off automatically when they’re not in your ear. AirPods do.<\/li>\n
- These are the first earbuds I’ve seen that use a corded loop to secure it inside your ear. I hope that works!<\/li>\n
- The carrying case looks nowhere near as small as AirPods. I doubt they are pocketable in jeans. Wrapping the cord inside the case looks fiddly.<\/li>\n
- I think it’s a good idea that Google is doing simplified pairing to your device. That’s table stakes now.<\/li>\n
- Their headline feature ‘real time translation experience’ is mighty impressive. You can see a demo of it here in The Verge’s event supercut.<\/a> Very cool, futuristic application of Google’s AI chops. How often would I use it? Not often, but it would be really cool if you need it.<\/li>\n
- These are priced at AU$249<\/a> vs. AirPods at AU$229<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
If I was an Android user and needed a new pair of earbuds, I’d be taking a long hard look at these. However, as a current iPhone user, I’m still very happy with AirPods. They’re not perfect either, but they get a lot right.<\/p>\n