The Pixel Buds Pro is the AirPods Pro 2022
That said, Google has its own tricks that even Apple doesn’t have: the Pixel Buds Pro will still offer live translation for over two dozen languages and come with the Google Assistant built-in that will allow you to control your smart home.
Even better, they’ll only cost $199 (around £160, AU$290) when they become available to everyone on July 28.
Analysis: Finally, a pair of Pixel Buds we can get behind
The Pixel Buds have always been a decent option for Pixel phone owners but didn’t exactly set the world of truly wireless earbuds ablaze. Google’s earbuds were very mediocre, lacking active noise cancellation and sound performance.
With the Pixel Buds Pro, Google seems intent on changing that opinion with a slew of new features, a revamped design, and, of course, active noise cancellation.
The Buds that Google debuted at Google IO are slightly larger than their predecessors – a result of Google including more microphones and a larger battery inside the casing. While they’re bigger, Google says its team has done its homework to ensure that they’re still comfortable to wear for hours on end thanks to a new sensor that measures pressure build-up in the ear canal.
The extra comfort will be crucial to Google convincing us that the Pixel Buds are ready to take on their Apple-made alter egos, as will their support for spatial audio that Google says won’t be ready until later this year.
Should Google get everything right with the Pixel Buds Pro, Android fans will have a new de facto pair of earbuds to go with their new Google Pixel 7.
