It's been a month and change since Google launched its first true wireless earbuds.

When I first got my hands on the Pixel Buds, I was struck by their fit and finish, comfort, and sound quality, but nagging problems like audible interference at low volumes and short battery life left me feeling lukewarm on the whole.

This isn't an issue unique to the Pixel Buds; hard plastic earbuds like AirPods and Google's own USB-C headset have the same drawback as a consequence of their form factor.

Aside from the Pixel Buds and their case, the box contains two additional sets of silicone ear tips and a charging cable.

Callers couldn't hear much of a difference in quality between my talking on the earbuds versus on a phone, although background noises like shuffling papers were more noticeable with the earbuds in.

I've got four other pairs of true wireless earbuds on my desk right now, all of them less expensive than the Pixel Buds, and none of them have any static that I can hear.

The first time you flip the Pixel Buds' case open, you'll get a pairing notification on your phone — one tap and you're off to the races.

The Buds get custom icons in your phone's Bluetooth settings (left), but the Pixel Buds app itself doesn't do much (right).

But that installation is the full extent of the difference in experience between Pixels and non-Pixels — anything the Buds can do on a Pixel phone, they can do on any Android phone.

The functionality isn't exclusive to the Pixel Buds; any Google Assistant-equipped headset can do it.

The Pixel Buds app lets you toggle Adaptive Sound and in-ear detection, ring either earbud in case you dropped one in the couch, and access Assistant settings (which are managed in the Google app).

It also puts custom Pixel Buds graphics in your phone's Bluetooth menu, which is a neat bit of polish.

If your normal use case is popping your earbuds in for a jog or a round with a meditation app, the Pixel Buds will suit your needs just fine, but if you want to wear them through an entire workday or the duration of a long flight, you're out of luck.

In the new Pixel Buds, Google clearly set out to make Android's answer to AirPods, and it successfully aped a lot of what Apple's customers love about that company's earbuds: setup is a breeze, software integration is solid, and fit and finish are fantastic.

Unfortunately, the Pixel Buds also borrow the AirPods' mediocre battery life (also rated at five hours) and high price tag (with the optional wireless charging case, AirPods retail for $199).

There are tons of true wireless earbuds that work with Android phones nearly as seamlessly as the Pixel Buds do — and for less money.

For the right person, one who rarely wears earbuds for more than a few hours at a time and is willing to pay a premium for thoughtful design and nice-to-have features, the Pixel Buds are great.

After an additional month with the Pixel Buds, I'm still enamored with Google's hardware design, but I have all the same beefs with its earbuds that I always did.

I've also had occasion to use the Pixel Buds in a populated public space, and as expected, they're not great in that scenario — even at social-distancing-friendly limited capacity.

To be clear, there is a lot to like about the Pixel Buds.

If your use case falls within the Pixel Buds' range of utility, go ahead and buy them

Personally, I can't help being fond of the Pixel Buds — they're just so cool