Pixel Buds Pro review: Google’s great AirPods Pro rival for Android | Google

  • Battery life: seven hours (ANC) plus as much as 20 hours with case
  • Case dimensions and weight: 63.2 x 50 x 25mm; 50g
  • Earbud dimensions and weight: 23.7 x 22 x 22.3mm; 6.2g every
  • Water resistance: earbuds IPX4 (splash); case IPX2
  • Driver measurement: 11mm
  • Case charging: USB-C, Qi wi-fi
  • Good sound and noise cancelling

    The Google Pixel Buds Pro earbuds held in the palm of a hand.
    The 11mm drivers of the Pixel Buds Professional produce large sound with loads of element and baggage of bass. {Photograph}: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

    The Buds Professional are Google’s best-sounding earbuds but. They produce super-clear audio with wonderful separation of tones even on advanced tracks. The bass is exact and punchy, reaching the deepest of notes, mid tones are rounded and highs are fairly detailed, sounding nice in most music genres.

    They’re pretty bass-heavy and may sound a bit too clear in some tracks, missing a little bit of uncooked vitality in grunge, however I believe most will take pleasure in them. The quantity EQ boosts low and mid tones for higher steadiness at decrease volumes. Google guarantees so as to add a full equaliser and spatial audio for immersive film encompass sound through updates later this yr.

    Total, they’re wonderful earbuds that make a step up from on a regular basis listening, falling simply in need of the easiest from Sennheiser and Sony.

    The noise cancelling is equally succesful, decreasing most low rumbles, street noise and that of followers, and matching the efficiency of Apple’s AirPods Pro. They don’t seem to be fairly as succesful as Sony’s finest, struggling extra with increased tones similar to keyboard clicks, however are nonetheless total excellent. They undergo a bit from wind noise, and their ambient consciousness mode is sweet however not fairly as natural-sounding as one of the best.

    Lastly, name high quality was excellent, sounding pure and clear even in noisy environments, though a bit little bit of background noise from the road crept into the decision.

    Connectivity and settings

    The Pixel Buds app showing settings and controls on a Pixel 6a smartphone.
    The Pixel Buds app on Android handles settings and updates, exhibits the battery stage on the earbuds and case and different bits. The app shouldn’t be obtainable for iPhones or iPads, nevertheless. {Photograph}: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

    The Buds Professional are commonplace Bluetooth 5 earbuds, supporting the usual SBC and AAC audio codecs and Google’s Fast Pair with Android. They can be utilized in mono, which is helpful for calls, and assist seamless switching between paired gadgets. They assist multipoint for connecting to 2 gadgets concurrently, similar to a telephone for calls and a laptop computer for music.

    They’ve Google’s new computerized audio-switching system that connects the Buds Professional to whichever of your Android telephones or tablets is taking a name or taking part in media. It doesn’t work with PCs, Macs or different gadgets, so multipoint is mostly extra helpful.

    Google Assistant

    The top of a Pixel Buds Pro earbud in the charging case showing the Google ‘G’ logo.
    Faucet and maintain on the ‘G’ emblem or say ‘Hey Google’ to invoke the voice assistant, however solely with an Android telephone. {Photograph}: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

    Google Assistant is one other superior function that solely works with Android. Contact and maintain one of many earbuds or use the “Hey Google” wake phrase to then make it learn your notifications or messages, ship replies, management music playback, regulate the amount, offer you instructions from Google Maps, carry out real-time translation with Google Translate and different duties.

    Sustainability

    Google doesn’t present an anticipated lifespan for the battery, nevertheless it ought to final in extra of 500 full-charge cycles with at the least 80% of its unique capability. Like most wi-fi earbuds, the Pixel Buds Professional will not be repairable, making them in the end disposable.

    The case incorporates recycled uncommon earth parts. The corporate publishes environmental impact reports for a few of its merchandise, however not earbuds. It would recycle old devices freed from cost.

    Worth

    The Google Pixel Buds Professional value £179 ($199/A$299) in a selection of colors.

    For comparability, the Sony WF-1000XM4 value £199, Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 value £219.99, Beats Fit Pro value £199, Apple AirPods Pro value £239, Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro value £149, Jabra Elite 7 Professional value £199, Bose QC Earbuds value £209.95, and Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 value £99.

    Verdict

    With the Pixel Buds Professional, Google has lastly nailed Bluetooth earbuds.

    They’re snug, sound nice and have strong noise cancelling, and the battery lasts a great seven hours. The controls are wonderful, as is the pocketable case. They’ve helpful options similar to multipoint connectivity for multiple machine at a time and good name high quality.

    Whereas some flashier options are restricted to Android – I wouldn’t advocate shopping for them in the event you didn’t primarily use an Android telephone – the fundamentals work simply as effectively with PCs and iPhones you probably have a mixture of gadgets.

    They’re crushed on sound high quality and noise cancelling by the easiest, however for on a regular basis earbuds, the Pixel Buds Professional are nice and undercut high rivals on worth, too.

    You can not restore the earbuds or exchange the battery, which makes them in the end disposable and loses them a star.

    Professionals: nice sound, efficient noise cancelling, lengthy battery life, very snug, good case, nice controls, Quick Pair, multipoint, fancy Google Assistant options with Android.

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