It wouldn’t even be slightly groundbreaking for me to decry that we’re looking down at our phones too much these days. Our pocket-sized computers consume us as we doomscroll through our various feeds; saving recipes we’ll never use, listening to the same sound 15 times in a row, and shamelessly gorging on brainrot content. We really are paying too much attention to phones, and in the process, we miss out on much of the beauty that life has to offer.
Recently though, I was able to break away. I was able to avert my eyes from my phone. I was able to resist the temptation of endless TikTok scrolling. I was even able to pull myself away from Instagram and Reddit. For a while, at least, I was able to feel truly free. And it was all thanks to this: an earbuds case with Flappy Bird on it.
That’s right, my attention was focused on a different screen entirely, as I dared to flap my way through some green tubes and… ah, no actually that’s all.
Anyway, allow me to introduce you to the device that freed me: the Groov-e Neo Buds True Wireless Earbuds. These are a cheap pair of wireless earbuds that come with a little display on their charging case. We’ve seen a few other models do this, such as the JBL Live Beam 3, but those buds don’t have any games at all. Not even Flappy Bird.
So, I’m here to discuss my time playing the game, and what I made of the Neo Buds more generally. Should more of the best earbuds be decked out with gaming capabilities baked into the case? Do wireless earbuds even need a display? I’ll give you my thoughts down below.
Ba-ding!
OK, so this wasn’t the actual Flappy Bird. You know, the mobile gaming phenomenon that took the world by storm back in 2013. It’s simply a knock-off, but I was still pretty excited to give the game a go.
It may not surprise you, however, to find out that the game didn’t give me all too much to be excited about after all. See, in this version, the gaps between pipes are so wide, and the bird’s motion is so slow, that racking up a high score was just far too easy. Plus, that iconic ‘ba-ding!’ sound doesn’t play when you make it through some pipes… a real tragedy.
And although you’re supposedly meant to get a star rating based on your score, I wasn’t ever able to get a single star – even when I scored well over 100! On top of all of that, the game doesn’t even save your high score. So, this is ultimately a bad version of what was a pretty addictive game back in the day… so much missed potential.
All of this got me thinking: is there really much value in an earbuds case providing gaming capabilities? Do they even need a display at all? Honestly, I think the answer to both of those questions is no. Don’t get me wrong, it made me smile to see the Flappy Bird knock-off pop up as an option, but would I realistically use this regularly? I doubt it. And although the case’s display packs in other features, such as a flashlight, timer, and access to EQ settings… I could get all of this from my phone anyway.
In the end, then, the game – as well as the display itself – felt more like a gimmick than an innovation. And as I mentioned in my review, the Neo Buds aren’t exactly the best-sounding or looking wireless earbuds on the market.
So, instead of scooping Groov-e’s buds up, I’d highly recommend an alternative from our guide to the best budget earbuds, like the JLab Go Pods ANC or the Earfun Air Pro 3. Do they have Flappy Bird? No, neither of them have a display at all. But would you really be missing out? Also no – at least, I don’t think so.
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The best wireless earbuds for all budgets
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harry.padoan@futurenet.com (Harry Padoan)
