Technologies

Shokz OpenFit Earbuds Aren’t Bone-Conduction Headphones — and They’re Better for It

Shokz’ first true-wireless earbuds, the OpenFit, eschew the company’s trademark bone-conduction technology.

Shokz, the company formerly known as AfterShokz, has been the leader in bone-conduction headphones. Models like the OpenRun Pro, which deliver sound to your ear through your cheekbones, are popular with runners and bikers who like to leave their ears open for safety reasons. But Shokz’s new OpenFit model is the company’s first true-wireless earbuds. They have an open design that fire sound into your ears using custom speaker drivers, which Shokz dubs «air conduction» technology. The OpenFit earbuds are available for order now in beige and black for $180 at Shokz.com and Amazon.

I’ve been using the new buds for a couple of weeks and have been impressed by how lightweight (8.3 grams) and comfortable they are — they have one of the best ear-hook designs I’ve tried (Shokz calls it a Dolphin Arc ear hook). It’s soft and offers just the right amount of flexibility to conform to the shape of your ear, with «dual-layered liquid silicone that provides a pliable fit,» according to Shokz. The earbuds also sound quite good for open earbuds, though not quite as good as Cleer’s new Arc 2 Open Ear Sport earbuds ($190) that also have an ear-hook design.

The Shokz OpenFit are Shokz first true-wireless earbuds

One of the big issues with bone-conduction headphones technology is that it just doesn’t work all that well for music listening because bone-conduction headphones just can’t deliver truly full sound with enough bass, though Shokz has done its best to improve performance on the low end. In moving to this type of open design with more traditional speaker technology, albeit the kind that Shokz says is patented, you’re now able to get a much less compromised listening experience. Shokz says the OpenFit uses DirectPitch technology along with Shokz OpenBass, the company’s proprietary low-frequency enhancement algorithm, «to carry low-frequency vibrations directly toward your ear without covering it.»

You do get significantly fuller sound compared to bone-conduction headphones. Bass performance still doesn’t quite measure up to what you get from even a good set of $50 noise-isolation earbuds with ear tips that seal off your ears. And despite all the fancy digital processing, I encountered some bad distortion when I played Depeche Mode’s Behind the Wheel track on both Spotify and Qobuz, which was a little weird. (I did have an early review sample, so I suspect we’ll see some firmware upgrades.)

The Shokz’ bone-conduction headphones I’ve tested previously have typically performed well for making cell phone calls with good noise reduction. The OpenFit also delivers on that front. I made some calls in the noisy streets of New York and the earbuds did a good job reducing background noise, though I should note that — because they’re open earbuds — if you’re in a noisy environment, they let sound into your ears so it can be harder for you to hear callers. The same goes for listening to music and other audio — outside noise competes with what you’re listening to and makes it harder to hear. Also, these do leak sound, so people can hear what you’re listening to in quieter environments like an open office. And finally, there’s no multipoint Bluetooth pairing that would allow you to pair two devices simultaneously to the buds and easily switch audio between the devices. Other Shokz headphones have multipoint Bluetooth pairing.

As I said, I’ve been generally impressed with these new Shokz buds and they’ve been a pleasure to wear and can be used as everyday earbuds as well as sports buds. I ran with them without a problem — they stayed on my ears well — and they’re IP54 dust and water-resistant (meaning they’re splashproof). I also thought the touch controls worked pretty well (though there are no volume controls on the buds) and the case was nicely designed. It’s bigger than many earbuds cases but relatively compact for sports earbuds with integrated ear hooks. It’s much slimmer than the case for the Beats Powerbeats Pro, for example.

The Cleer Arc 2 Sport buds offer a little better clarity and fuller bass but the Shokz OpenFit are more comfortable to wear. Both models are pretty pricey, but these types of open earbuds continue to improve, particularly in the sound department. Bose was one of the first to produce a premium set of open ear-hook style earbuds with its Open Sport Earbuds, but they were discontinued earlier this year. In many ways, the Shokz OpenFit are what the Bose Open Sport should have been, as Bose prides itself on creating comfortable headphones. The Open Sport Earbuds fell short there but these Shokz don’t.

OpenFit Open-Ear true wireless earbuds specs, according to Shokz

Ear cushion core is engineered with a dual-layered liquid silicone that gives a pliable fit for every ear shape
18x11mm customized dynamic driver unit that is built with an ultralight composite diaphragm comprised of two parts. The inner dome-shaped cap is made of a high-strength, ultralight carbon fiber
Bluetooth 5.2
Battery life: 7 hours of listening time on a single charge and three extra charges in charging case
Charge time: Charge the earbuds with the charging case: 60 minutes; empty case with charging cable: 120 minutes
Quick charge: 5 minutes’ charging provides an hour of listening time
Weight: 8.3 grams per earbud (charging case weighs 57 grams)
IP rating: IP54 water-resistant (charging case is not waterproof)
AI call noise cancellation technology to ensure call quality
Touch controls
Use the Shokz App to select your favorite EQ modes and button functions
Available in beige and black for $180 at Shokz.com and Amazon

Technologies

Why Are Switch 2 Games So Expensive? Trump’s Tariffs May Not Be Sole Factor

It still comes down to money.

Wednesday’s reveal of the Switch 2 had a lot of buzz from Nintendo surrounding its successor to the Switch. One shocking bit, though, was the high price of its games. There’s a lot of confusion, especially with news of President Donald Trump’s increased tariffs on many trading partners, including Japan.

After the Switch 2 Direct, Nintendo released the full details of the upcoming console and games on its website. The price of Mario Kart World shocked gamers and led to some disdain, as the $80 MSRP was $10 more than what most new games cost today. This led many to wonder if this would be a new normal for game prices due to Trump’s tariffs or if Nintendo was just being greedy. The answer, however, might be something completely different.

Are Nintendo Switch 2 game prices hiking?

To start, some details need to be cleared up. Some people have posted on social media that the price of Nintendo’s Switch 2 games, at least in the US, will be $90. That is incorrect, as of right now.

One X user posted Switch 2 EU prices for Mario Kart World, which start at 80 euros for a digital version and 90 euros for the physical copy. Typically, US and EU games match in price, which caused some to assume that this pricing would be the case for the US.

Nintendo Switch 2 games will be more expensive physically than digitally.
Mario Kart World will be 90 freaking euros phisically. pic.twitter.com/iXuRwzlFqH

— Centro LEAKS (@CentroLeaks) April 2, 2025

US retailers, however, already posted their Switch 2 game prices, and Nintendo-published games are listed at $80.

Will Trump’s tariffs cause the Switch 2 to cost more?

As for Trump’s tariffs, that is unlikely to be a driver of this price bump. Tariffs are not applied to digital goods, and when the prices were published, there were no tariffs on Japan. Plus, games are similarly expensive in other countries like Canada and the UK.

With that cleared up, why are Nintendo games on the Switch 2 so expensive? One likely reason is game storage.

Read More: All the Nintendo Games You Can Update to Switch 2 for Free

The Switch 2 uses what Nintendo calls game-key cards, which are Switch 2 cartridges that don’t have all the game data on the cartridge itself. This helps save on production costs as storage is expensive. The original Switch cartridges went up to 32GB of storage, which doesn’t seem like a lot these days, with some games taking up 100GB or more of storage, but this is for the original Switch. Only a few games, like The Witcher 3, went above 32GB because the graphics for the Switch weren’t on the high end like with a PC, PS5 or Xbox Series console, where a Witcher 3 install size starts at 50GB.

Switch 2 games are going to be bigger in size — there is little doubt about it. CD Projekt Red confirmed it would put its Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition on one 64GB cartridge, and there will likely be other games to surpass that 64GB. With the max size of the cartridge doubling in size, it adds to the price of the physical card, as not only does storage have to be bigger, but they will need to transfer data faster. That can get more expensive for physical copies, unlike optical discs, which are still the same price whether it has 20GB or 100GB on the disc.

What does all this mean for gamers?

This leads to a dilemma for publishers: Put the entire game on the physical card and sell it at a loss, increase the price of the physical copy with the full game on it or use the game-key card to have a card with minimal storage, requiring gamers to download the entire game.

Read More: The 17 Best Nintendo Switch Games Right Now

It appears that Nintendo went with door No. 2. This doesn’t come as much of a surprise, knowing the company. Anyone who wants to save money on games knows that Nintendo will seldom bring the price down of its own games. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, for example, is 8 years old and is still full price on Nintendo’s website.

According to an industry analysis from Niko Partners, this new pricing could become the new normal in a couple of years when it comes to physical cartridges.

«While there has been some sticker shock regarding the price of games increasing from $60 to $70 or $80, these price points are set to become industry standard over the next two years, especially so for Nintendo first-party games,» Niko Partners said in a statement Wednesday. «One reason for the higher price is the increased cost of the new and faster Game Cards themselves, with higher capacities being more expensive to manufacture than a PS5 Blu-ray disc.»

Nintendo didn’t respond to a request for comment about the higher price of its games.

That said, this doesn’t explain the lower price of Donkey Kong Bananza, which comes out in July; that’s listed on Nintendo’s site for $70. This could mean the game isn’t using a larger storage card, but that can’t be said for sure until the game comes out. It’s unclear how things will change in the future.

Technologies

Nintendo Switch 2 Pre-orders in US Delayed Due to Trump’s Tariffs

The Switch 2 launch is still happening on June 5, and preorders outside the US seem unchanged.

Nintendo Switch 2 preorders in the US were to start April 9, but it appears those plans have changed due to the new tariffs imposed this week by President Donald Trump. It’s unclear if this means Nintendo will also have to increase the price of the Switch successor, which currently starts at $450.

Nintendo said Friday that it’s delaying Switch 2 preorders in the US, but its June release date is unaffected.

«Pre-orders for Nintendo Switch 2 in the U.S. will not start April 9, 2025 in order to assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions,» the company said in a statement. «Nintendo will update timing at a later date. The launch date of June 5, 2025 is unchanged.»

Nintendo didn’t indicate if preorder dates outside the US would change, but Eurogamer reports that preorders are live at various retailers in the UK.

A tariff of 24% has been applied by the US to goods from Japan. Were that rate to be applied directly to the Switch 2’s announced price, it would rise to $558, but it would be up to Nintendo how much of the tariff it will pass on to consumers.

This is a developing story.

Technologies

Twelve South’s Foldable Wireless Charger for iPhone and Apple Watch Is Up to 27% Off at Amazon

This handy accessory makes it easier to travel with your Apple gear and stay charged wherever you go.

Whether you’re traveling for business or off on a wonderful family vacation, charging your stuff shouldn’t be something you have to worry about. Taking extra chargers and cables can be a pain, and they all take up space in your bag. But the handy Twelve South Butterfly SE charger is a compact alternative that can wirelessly charge an iPhone and an Apple Watch at the same time. And it’s available with up to 27% off right now at Amazon.

That top line discount applies to the pink version, though the white model is only $7 more and other colors are seeing 15% off the usual $100 price tag if you have a strong preference. It’s not clear how long the discounts will last, though.

Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money.

The charger itself offers a way to wirelessly charge a iPhone and Apple Watch from a single AC outlet, and you can even charge your AirPods when your phone is done, too. And because this is a Qi2 charger you’ll get a full 15 watts of wireless charging for compatible devices — including the best iPhones.

When you’re not using the Butterfly SE, it folds up so it can be slid into a pocket, bag or luggage without taking up too much space. It really is the perfect partner for people who like to travel light.

Unfortunately, this charger doesn’t come with an AC adapter in the box, so you’ll need to provide your own. Make sure it’s rated for 20 watts or more. If you need to buy one, Apple’s 20-watt USB-C charger is just $15 right now.

Why this deal matters

We all carry multiple devices around with us these days. Anything that can make charging them more convenient is a win in our books, especially when you’re traveling. This charger takes up little space when it isn’t being used and charges quickly when it is.