The earbuds also offer controls on the handles. One can set different functions, such as skipping songs, pausing play, and answering phone calls, for gestures including single, double, or triple taps, and long presses for each side separately. The Hear tab lets you turn on ANC, transparency mode, or turn off noise control altogether. The Shell tab lets you preview various shells and see what they would look like on the GPods. The tech industry has an identity problem. When a company hits on a product that becomes so successful, every other tech company rushes to mimic it.

On a personal note, the fact that these have RGB lighting offsets some of the limitations for my own use case, and I quite like the idea of add-on shells to change the look of the earbuds. But if you want a polished sound, high-res codecs, and better battery life, there are plenty of alternatives available. I was obviously intrigued when asked to take a look at the GPods, so here's what you need to know about these unique wireless earbuds. Open your mobile device, tap settings > bluetooth and then connect earbuds and mobile services. Launch the HHOGene GPods app and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the connection.The sound was the first thing to be tested. We played fast and slow music on high and low volumes to the result. I think all sounds were clear and crisp tones with any kind of music and volume; the base is my personal favorite (Electronic music sounds great in GPods). The great sound of GPods stays the same for both ios and Android devices. The GPods truly stand out from the crowd, so don’t be surprised if people stop to ask you about them once in a while. I wish they were IPX5 for better protection, but IPX4 should be enough to take them out in the rain without worrying about ruining them. Battery life Image: Steve Smith / KnowTechie

The top of the app features a live view of your current selection, letting you see what your GPods look like without having to take them out of your ears. The light effects are customizable via a paired app, which has a neat and user-friendly UI and offers a variety of color pattern presets to choose from. Users can also generate customized patterns from photos. There’s even an option to make the earbuds glow with a color that matches one’s clothes. The rest of the design isn't quite as exciting, with the GPods featuring a plastic inner shell with the sound nozzle extending at an angle. The fit that you get with these is similar to that of the Nothing Ear (2), and while there's nothing wrong with the build quality, the glossy finish makes these feel more like budget wireless earbuds. If I set the volume mid-way or lower, I could have a full conversation with someone without pausing my content. You can also enable transparency mode if you want to hear the world around you. This allows ambient noise to come in, keeping you in tune with your surroundings.

Japanese Style Series

HHOGene GPods APP allows full control of emanating light. GPods support an estimated 300,000 color combinations. Personal preferences are strongly encouraged. Choose the right shade for the right mood. Shine every time.