Honor Earbuds 4: When Budget-Friendly Becomes Code for Try Again

Ah, the Honor Earbuds 4, where someone clearly Googled things people like in earbuds and crammed it all into a glossy-matte Frankenstein. With promises of monster battery life and smart features, these earbuds scream, We tried... kind of. Spoiler alert: Theyre the kind of good enough you'd expect from a kitchen appliance brand trying to make headphones.

Battery Life: 46 Hours or a Marketing Marathon?

Monster battery life? Sure, if youre planning a marathon binge of disappointment. While 46 hours sounds impressive, that's the combined usage of both earbuds and the charging case. In reality, youll likely be charging these before your Netflix session is over. And dont even get me started on how monster battery life is the equivalent of saying I didnt fail completely. Low bar much?

Active Noise Cancellation: 50dB of Supposed Bliss

Honor claims up to 50dB of noise reduction, but unless you live in an airplane hangar, youll never know if thats true. They even give you ANC modes-deep for the subway, moderate for a café, and light for the office. Because clearly, youre going to stop mid-commute to recalibrate your earbuds like a DJ mixing tracks. Fancy features are only good if they're not a massive hassle to use.

Sound Quality: Dual Drivers, Dual Disappointment

The 11mm copper coil driver and 6mm dual-magnetic driver sound fancy, but the reality is more meh than wow. Crisp highs? Maybe if your idea of crisp is burnt toast. Bass? It's there, sure, but so is a faint distortion if you push these earbuds too hard. Its like buying a gourmet burger and realizing its just a dressed-up fast food patty.

Design: Glossy Meets Matte in a Mediocre Marriage

Who designed these, the ghost of a failed car detailer? The earbuds are a mix of glossy and matte finishes that scream, We couldnt decide, so we did both. The result? A product that looks like its trying to cosplay as something premium but forgot its costume. Bonus points for the dual transparency mode, which is great if you want to hear your surroundings-assuming you werent already distracted by how slippery the glossy parts are.

Price and Availability: Oh, the Irony

At $50-$70, these are priced like they're doing you a favor. But wait, you cant even buy them everywhere! Unless you live in the Middle East or China, youre out of luck. It's like dangling a clearance rack shirt in front of you and then saying, Oops, not your size. And lets not forget the three pairs of rubber eartips included, because nothing says luxury audio experience like a bunch of spare parts in a box.