The Pixel Buds Pro 2 are worth the upgrade
Great noise-canceling, improved case, and insanely small
I really don't want to be one of those people who upgrades their earbuds every year.
I don't want to fall for the marketing nonsense. Earbuds can't really be traded-in or sold as easily as a phone. A pair of quality earbuds should certainly last for more than a year. And earbud technology really isn't changing that much in the span of twelve months is it? Hmm, now I'm not so sure.
Yes, Google convinced me to use the store credit from my Pixel 9 Pro purchase to pick up a pair of the Pixel Buds Pro 2. I have to say that I really hate that name. It doesn't roll off the tongue at all. Just keep calling them the Pixel Buds Pro or attach the year after them or something, but I digress.
So no, I wasn't actually putting out my own hard cash for these things, but it was still a tough decision to use my store credit when I already had the previous year's version of Pixel Buds Pro. I didn't think I needed to upgrade. It seemed silly. It seemed superfluous. It seemed wasteful.
But I did it anyway. I even ordered a pair in the porcelain color which was the same color I had in the previous model. On a side note, how do we all feel about earbud colors? Obviously Apple has been dominating the white buds market for years, but should our earbuds be colorful? I feel differently about earbuds than I do about phones or watches.
Give me all the cool colors for watch bands and the backs of phones. I want to stand out and look different. But I don't feel the same way about having brightly colored things shoved into my ears. The porcelain offers a nice muted tone that doesn't match my skin tone but also isn't a stark bright white either. You can tell I'm wearing something in my ears, but it doesn't look as silly as bright pink or green. I don't know, to each their own when it comes to earbud colors.
So were these things worth the upgrade even if I didn't actually pay for them?
Yes they absolutely are.
First, lets talk about the size because that is what struck me the most. These are a good deal smaller than the previous model. The bulbous bean-like portion below the rubber tip has been severely minimized. There really isn't much to these things beyond the small colored circle. You would think that something would have to sacrificed in order to maintain this form factor but apparently not. How far we've come in just one calendar year!
With that smaller size, these buds are supremely comfortable. I didn't have many comfort complaints about last year's version but they did sometimes slip out of my ears. Not only during sweaty workouts, but sometimes I'd just be standing still looking at my computer screen and I'd feel them start to slide. I don't think that will be an issue with the Pixel Buds Pro 2 (still a mouthful of a name that I even struggle to type). These buds have a small "wing-tipped protrusion" that helps keep them anchored in your ear. It's been a while since I wore an earbud with a tip like this and normally I would steer away from that styling. But this is really subtle and it seems to be just enough to make them feel secure no matter how much I head bang.
And let's not forgot about the charging case. While it looks nearly identical to last year's model, there are a few differences. It now has a speaker in the bottom next to the charging port. This is fantastic for when you lose your buds while they're within the case. And I've also really appreciated the little audible confirmation that plays through the speaker when you've properly aligned the case on a wireless charger. I can't say for sure, but the finish on this year's case also feels slightly less slippery and maybe more durable? My previous case developed a tiny little crack over time that I don't think will happen on this version. But we'll see how it ages. I also wish they offered up some color on the cases rather than having them all come in a white case.
Remember when I said that something must need to be sacrificed in order to make these buds so small? I assumed that would be the noise cancelling capabilities. There have never been earbuds this tiny that do such a good job of cancelling outside noise. I'm not sure what kind of magic Google pulled off here. The noise cancelling and transparency modes are fantastic. It might not be as good as some of the higher-end over the ear cans from Sony and Bose, but it's the best I've experienced in earbud form. And the transparency mode really does feel like you're not wearing earbuds at all. It certainly comes in handy when you want to quickly block things out or hear everything. I find it particularly useful on runs and dog walks where traffic sounds come and go.
The audio quality and bluetooth connections have been really stellar thus far as well. I'm not sure that they're leaps and bounds above last year, but they haven't gotten any worse. The touch controls from last year are also still the same and they work well. Swiping forward or back to increase or decrease volume works great even for someone who long preferred tangible controls on his headphones.
Of course there needs to be some AI included in here right? And there is the ability to talk to Google Assistant or Gemini quite easily. It's really no different than doing these things on your phone, but the in-ear convenience is nice. I would check back here in a few months when Gemini Live is hopefully much improved. Then we may have something to rival the experience of Joaquin Phoenix in "Her". But until then, it's still more a party trick than a daily audio companion.
So yeah, these earbuds are great. Totally worth the free upgrade in my opinion but you'll be pleased even if you spend some money on these. You know Google will offer up some Black Friday discounts soon too. They'll be a really nice value.
And what to do with my buds from the previous generation? There are plenty of them for sale on eBay. It may sound gross but ordering some new rubber tips and wiping them down with an alcohol wipe basically gives you a near-new experience for a tiny fraction of the price.
Overall, I'm really impressed with what Google was able to do in the span of twelve short months. I can't wait to see what they have in store for next year's model.
Thanks for reading, I’ll see you next week!
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