I just spent a few minutes with the new Google Pixel Buds hardware — the $179 truly wireless earbuds aren’t shipping until Spring 2020, and the units at Google’s fall hardware event aren’t actually turned on and working. So there’s no way to tell how they’ll actually sound, and how Google’s various software tricks work in practice.

What I can tell you is that Google has produced a set of small, minimally designed earbuds that look like nothing more than little circles in your ears when you’re wearing them and fit snugly thanks to the little wing coming off the side. The earbud itself slides down into your ear, providing a modicum of passive noise reduction, but Google says the design is vented to reduce discomfort and provide some outside sound. They have touch controls for play, pause, and volume, and Google says they’ll run for five hours of continuous battery life on a single charge, and up to 24 hours of battery life using the case.

That case is also very nice and small, and you can basically drop the buds in at any angle to charge; magnets snap them into place. The buds are also sweat and water-resistant.

Paired with an Android phone running Android N or higher, you’ll get some special features: the Pixel Buds can detect the noise level of the environment you’re in and adjust phone volume accordingly, you can just say “Hey Google” to access the Assistant and features like live language translation. Google says more AI features will arrive over time, as well.

If you’re paired with an iPhone, the Pixel Buds will just function like regular Bluetooth headphones, because headphones in 2019 are a soul-destroying battle between competing platform vendors giving their own products special features. But Google says the Pixel Buds have long-range Bluetooth that can work across “up to three” rooms indoors and “across a football field” outdoors. And the beam-forming mics and accelerometers that detect jaw motion should work the same to improve call quality as well.

The Google Pixel Buds will be available next spring, cost $179, and will come in four colors: “clearly white,” “oh so orange,” “quite mint,” and “almost black.”

All in all, the new Pixel Buds look like promising competitors to the AirPods, but until we can hear them and review all these features, we can’t really know for sure. And that won’t happen until next year.