If you have a moment, read up on our in-depth Google Pixel Buds vs. Apple AirPods article. Not once did I feel like these were going to fall out, even during cardio workouts. Headphones are getting smarter. Given the current state of the world, I’m not visiting a packed coffee shop or other noisy venues these days, so I had to test this the best I could at home. I’m convinced that the key to such musical detail is the lack of boom in the bass. The compact size of the Pixel Buds makes them comfy to wear for long periods of time. They’re tremendously comfortable to wear, a delight to handle, offer plenty of battery life and come with the promise of getting better over time through Googler's Feature Drops updates. The easy comparison here is Apple’s AirPods. Like the earbuds themselves, the charging case is also much smaller. Having something inserted into your ear holes will only ever be so comfortable, but keeping the size and weight down goes a long way. I think it looks like a cute, little egg. If you’re like me, you rarely use earbuds for longer than an hour or two before returning them to their case. All rights reserved. The buds no longer have a cable running between them, and they're tiny. The Pixel Buds are a compelling set of wireless headphones that mostly succeed in executing their ambitions. Battery life is on par with Apple’s AirPods, but it’s well below average in 2020. I couldn't help but be disappointed with the Pixel Buds 2’s battery life. If you really want to use the touch controls to summon Google Assistant, you can do so with a press and hold on either earbud. Please also consider subscribing to WIRED. It is the essential source of information and ideas that make sense of a world in constant transformation. All rights reserved. I like the Master and Dynamic MW07 Go and Jabra Elite Active 75T just as much as I like these earbuds, and they’ve got better battery life and higher sweatproof ratings. Similar to the fast pairing Apple offers with AirPods, the Pixel Buds will automatically connect to your device, even if you’re doing so for the first time. Apple kickstarted a wireless earbuds global craze with the original AirPods in 2016. For this to be useful, the change needs to be noticeable, and perhaps coincide with a notification of some kind. Google promises real-time translation, and while it’s not just like having a conversation, it’s pretty damn close. The also supports wireless charging with a Qi-certified pad. Google is clear that using certain features will impact that figure, and I used that handy Translate tool several times during the battery test. They juice up best on a pad. Speed is key to making your lack of language knowledge less awkward, and thankfully the software/earbud combo works quickly. Google’s done a really nice job with the new Pixel Buds. To get started with a phone that’s running Android 6.0 and up, all you have to do is flip open the Pixel Buds case. They boast an IPX4 rating unlike AirPods, so I don’t have to worry about taking them on long, sock-testing runs in wet weather conditions. I was able to activate it with crowd noise from an archived soccer match on my TV, but the sound increase is very subtle. The Pixel Buds have good bass tone, but the low-end gets slightly lost in some genres like metal, electronic and hip-hop. You might occasionally use voice commands to text someone back or ask Assistant the weather, but the vast majority of your time with the Pixel Buds will be spent listening to music. With this software, you can get battery updates, locate the Pixel Buds if you lose ‘em and get a tutorial on the touch controls. The Engadget Score is a unique ranking of products based on extensive independent research and analysis by our expert editorial and research teams. That comfort isn't just because of the silicone tips; these are some of the lightest buds around. ... Google's new Pixel Buds give … It’s supposed to function like an automatic brightness adjustment for your display, only for sound. Google’s new, second-gen Pixel Buds are a big improvement over the old in both concept and execution. No. If you missed it the first time around, it’s a tool Google says allows you to use Conversation Mode in the Translate app to help you speak or understand over 40 languages. One thing that was consistent on the first Pixel Buds were the touch controls, and they still work well. You should also be able to press an icon inside the app when the other person starts talking so that the software can pick up what they’re saying before beaming the desired language to the earbuds. Given the Pixel Buds’ price I expected big things in the audio department but I was ultimately left disappointed. The fin is rigid rubber, so it actually helps keep the Pixel Buds nestled in place. And I had no trouble changing the volume. Since the new Pixel Buds are IPX4 rated, they’ll easily stand up to sweat if you want to take them on a run or some other physical activity. This also means they fit more snugly, and the improved seal does a better job of blocking out ambient noise. For audio quality, these are some of the best wireless earbuds I’ve tried. Listen up Google Pixel Buds 2020 review: These AirPods competitors were worth the wait The second time around, Google dropped quirks and just made a great pair of earbuds. Light and comfortable. Around back, there’s a Bluetooth pairing button you’ll need if you want to use these with a non-Android device, and the USB-C charging port is located on the bottom edge. You can raise or lower volume by sliding your fingers left and right—so easy!—as well as play or pause music and change songs with various taps. The first few times I tried, there was an issue with the Translate app, but eventually I got the whole setup to work as advertised. Google’s updated Pixel Buds are a revelation compared to the previous model. The overall audio is rich and full, with great clarity, so subtle details are retained. Design 9. So while you can do it, you probably wouldn’t want to unless you really have to. You still tap once for play/pause, twice to skip to the next song and three times to go back to the previous one. The company overhauled its Google Assistant earbuds to make something worth your money. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast. For that, they’re the best you’ll find for Android phones. Now it’s time to find out just how much the company learned from its shortcomings. With Google’s new Pixel Buds, there is one thing we didn’t know all of our other earbuds were missing – a completely hands-free Google Assistant built in. In terms of battery life, Google promises five hours on the earbuds themselves. Heck, I can even use Google Assistant’s real-time language-translation tool to understand what my partner (who insists I know more Spanish than I actually do) is saying in attempts to maintain fluency in quarantine. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 1/1/20) and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement (updated 1/1/20) and Your California Privacy Rights. And unlike more expensive models from the likes of Apple and Sony, these buds don't have any noise canceling. In terms of setup and ease of use, the Pixel Buds are the closest to match it. The new true wireless Google Pixel Buds are a major upgrade on their predecessors. Samsung vastly improved its latest true wireless earbuds compared to the previous model -- including nearly doubling the battery life -- and kept the price at just $150. The Global Score is arrived at only after curating hundreds, sometimes thousands of weighted data points (such as critic and user reviews). And yet, somehow, I’ve fallen in love with Google’s tiny, rounded earbuds. Instead, the company opted for a feature called Adaptive Sound that automatically, and temporarily, adjusts the volume based on your surroundings. More importantly, Google Assistant wasn’t reliable. Again, the bass tone sounds good here, it just needs a little more oomph so it can provide the proper backbone when a track commands it. They're also $179, making them $20 more than Apple's AirPods. Speaking of fit, Google replaced the cord hoop on top of the first Pixels Buds with a more traditional fin. Google Pixel Buds 2 review: Android finally gets its AirPods Pro moment. Every instrument comes through with crystal clarity, which makes denser mixes like Foxygen’s "San Francisco" come through with elegant depth. This helps support our journalism. Amazing integration with Android, including hands-free access to Google Assistant and fast pairing. I was able to wear these for hours and I never felt like they were more taxing than they should be. Of course, you sacrifice a lot of the handy features when you pair connect these to an iPhone or non-Android device. Google took its time after the original Pixel Buds to get things right with version 2.0. The connection notification will inform you of the current battery levels for both earbuds individually and the case -- much like iOS does, though it shows one figure for both AirPods. For example, with Rage Against The Machine’s “Take The Power Back,” the bass guitar riff and kick drum are big and punchy at the beginning. I was able to ask for help, record my statement or question in English and have a Pixel 4 broadcast the translation over the phone’s speaker. Google Pixel buds review. That’s also probably because I’m speaking English and Google is just quick to translate it. By integrating its own special chips, Apple makes pairing, listening, and talking on the AirPods much easier than the competition. Such is the promise of the second-generation Pixel Buds, Google’s competitor for Apple’s AirPods. Features like Adaptive Sound and other settings are accessible in the Pixel Buds app on Android devices. It’s similar to what the latest AirPods and some Beats headphones offer for Siri: These earbuds are always listening for you to summon Assistant without having to push a button. What’s more, there’s ample depth, so songs don’t sound like compressed noise being blasted into your ears. (. They’re small and light, much like Jabra’s Elite 75t and Samsung’s Galaxy Buds+ -- two other sets of earbuds that are easier to wear for hours than a lot of the competition. Google says it designed the new Pixel Buds case to look and feel like a river stone. During my tests, I eked out almost exactly four hours. The breakthroughs and innovations that we uncover lead to new ways of thinking, new connections, and new industries. The WIRED conversation illuminates how technology is changing every aspect of our lives—from culture to business, science to design. Ad Choices. How do they stay secure in your ears? Ditto for Phantogram’s “In A Spiral.” The booming kick drum is subdued on the Pixel Buds where it’s huge and thumping on other headphones. The Pixel Buds 2 (aka the Pixel Buds 2020) is a huge improvement over the originals, and actually made our list of best earbuds in 2020. Battery life is a little short. It’s taken Google a surprisingly long time to make good earbuds. Like all of these others, they don’t have ANC and the 7.5-hour battery life isn’t best in class, but everything else is quite good for $180. Comfort 9. Only five hours of battery life outside the case. Just get the New Google Pixel Buds if you’re looking for a fulfillment of the promises made by the Google Pixel Buds (Gen 1). The new Pixel Buds will also automatically pause when you remove one of them from your ear. (They'll pair this fast on most Android phones). The new Google Pixel Buds (2020) compare favorably to the Apple AirPods (2019). Are these the best wirefree earbuds you can buy for $179? If you have a Pixel phone that’s running Android 6.0 and up, the Pixel Buds software will be built into your settings menu as a system-level app. Google’s audio approach is not a million miles from that of the Sony WF-1000XM3. When Google unveiled its new true wireless Pixel Buds 2 ($179) last October, they seemed like a big upgrade over the original models. And it works well: The earbuds consistently picked up my commands without issue. Djay Pro AI for iPad now has touchless gesture controls, WhatsApp accuses Apple of double standard on data privacy labels, Google's Health Studies app lets Android users contribute to research, Sharp's first Alexa-ready microwave ovens are optimized for popcorn. Noise canceling eats battery life and probably would have made each bud bulkier. The first key difference between the two sets of Pixel Buds is that this new model is true wireless. Google provided a Pixel 4 phone for review purposes, and it should go without saying that the new Pixel Buds work great with Android. Since Google's new Pixel smartphones don't have headphone jacks, the company's decision to make a pair of wireless earbuds was only logical. Not once did the Pixel Buds mistake a triple tap for something less. Each bud has a long, elephant-like trunk that culminates in a cozy silicone eartip, with cute ear fins that protrude out of the top for increased stability. Pixel Buds 2 review: These earbuds are “much better than OK,” Google Enough quality, comfort, style, and usefulness to merit a $180 price—just barely. Unlike other buds with touch controls, I never accidentally paused music when adjusting them in my ears, but I do love that they automatically pause when you pull 'em out. You can also turn Adaptive Sound and in-ear detection on/off. You can tweak settings in the companion app, but you probably won’t need to download it. If you can live without all of that stuff, these are yet another entry in the increasingly crowded $150-$200 price range. A major selling point of the Pixel Buds (2020) is real-time translation. WIRED is where tomorrow is realized. Google Pixel Buds 2: Battery life. Even the touch controls, located on the outside of each earbud, are well thought out. Unfortunately, the Pixel Buds … Google Pixel Buds (2020) Review The Google Pixel Buds 2 finally live up to the hype By Sherri L. Smith 27 April 2020 It’s almost pointless to review these headphones as headphones. Nothing has changed from the 2017 model as far as this is concerned. One that’s not really quantifiable when looking at a spec sheet. It’s a part you see on a lot of earbuds -- both wired and wireless. By HotHardware on May 12, 2020 85 . Supports wireless charging. The Pixel Buds software doesn’t offer any audio presets or way to manually adjust the earbuds’ EQ. However, the performance and timing will vary based on your connection, so keep that in mind when you’re down to one bar and need to find a bathroom. Not only are they true wireless now, but the smart features are reliable, the touch controls are easy to master and comfort is top-notch. If you like to let some of the sound of what’s going on around into your headphones or earbuds, these don’t do that either. Samsung’s Galaxy Buds+ are also a solid option for both iOS and Android, and probably a more appropriate comparison for the Pixel Buds. Especially as someone with an Android phone, I’d take these over nearly any wireless earbuds around. While the new model looks like an obvious sibling in terms of design, many of the promises from that first device have finally been fulfilled. Learn more. This isn’t much of a surprise given the fact that it no longer needs to accommodate a cord. In our review of the first version, my colleague Chris Velazco noted the two-part design meant that half of the bud stuck out of your ear. That means that when you wear them for the full five-hour charge time, you won't have the same annoying pain you might have after five hours of listening to the hard-tipped AirPods. Awesome sound. To revisit this article, select My⁠ ⁠Account, then View saved stories. © 2020 Verizon Media. There are toggles for HD audio, phone calls, media audio and contact sharing that let you decide how you want to use the earbuds. It works pretty OK! So when you need to order a cortado or answer someone close by, you’ll have to pause the audio or risk shouting over it. On specs alone, they're not remarkable. My expectations were muted last fall when Google announced a revamped pair with the same name—this time with no wire connecting the buds, just like offerings from Apple, Samsung, and Amazon. If you’re a tech reviewer, you get, I don’t know, about 25, 30 pitches a day from manufacturers who found ways to make them smaller, make them cheaper, and usually make them look just like Apple’s AirPods. The elegant design appeals to the same user base, and sound quality is better thanks to the dedicated nozzles. Their mids sound cardboardy next to Sony’s. Post a quick review now to join the conversation! If you’re using a non-Pixel device, the standalone app will appear in your app drawer. 8.5 Overall Score. Google Pixel buds review. But Google has never had a true competitor. But if you’re after a very detailed, compelling sound, you’ll have a hard time finding better earbuds without spending hundreds more. Google Assistant features work well, touch controls are reliable and the audio quality is solid. To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. Unlike the touch controls on some earbuds and headphones, I was able to master these almost right away. Sure, more expensive true wireless earbuds will give you better sound, but they lack the deep ties to Assistant, Translate and even Android. If you need oodles of bass to propel you through a workout, these might not be for you. Expensive. The earbuds-specific features are accessible in the “Connected devices” section of the Pixel settings menu. If Google’s virtual helper is your assistant of choice, the Pixel Buds will likely serve you better than any other true wireless earbuds. For example, the press and hold touch gesture doesn’t activate Siri. Ask us in the comments below. With things like a white noise machine and running water to wash dishes (the latter of which Google mentions as a specific use case), I wasn’t able to trigger Adaptive Sound to do its thing. The Bottom Line The Pixel Buds are perfectly decent wireless headphones with a few extra tricks for Pixel phone users -- but don't expect a "Star Trek"-style universal translator. So for now, the jury is still out. The earbuds themselves still have the circular shape of the originals, but they’re much smaller. That’s AirPods-matching battery life, sure, but you can get earbuds that last longer for less than half the price. 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