Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 vs. Pixel Buds Pro: So. Many. Improvements

• 

  
  Google Pixel Buds Pro 2
  

  Google’s latest and greatest

  The Pixel Buds Pro 2 are Google’s latest premium wireless earbuds. They come with an improved design, Find My Device support, and Gemini AI integration.

  Pros

  • Balanced sound and excellent ANC
  • Find My Device support
  • Good battery life

  Cons

  • Pricier than Pixel Buds Pro

• 

  
  Google Pixel Buds Pro
  

  Feature-rich premium earbuds

  The Pixel Buds Pro are Google’s last-generation premium earbuds that come with solid battery life, good audio quality, and Google Assistant support.

  Pros

  • Value for money
  • Good battery life
  • Solid ANC

  Cons

  • No Find My Device support
  • A bit chunky

Google’s latest-gen

true wireless earbuds
— the Pixel Buds Pro 2 — are here with a plethora of claimed improvements and new features over their predecessor. These changes, which include a revamped design and support for

Gemini AI
, set the Pro 2 apart. But are they enough to justify the upgrade? Or can the Pixel Buds Pro, with their good sound quality and excellent ANC, still hold their ground? Let’s find out.

UPDATE: 2024/10/30 12:08 EST BY DOMINIC PRESTON

This post was updated to correct a few small errors regarding features found in the original Google Pixel Buds Pro, which weren’t included at launch but have been added to the earbuds in updates since.

Price, availability, and specifications

The Pixel Buds Pro 2 carry a price tag of $229 and are widely available via the usual suspects, including Amazon, Best Buy, and the Google Store. You can buy them in four colors.

In comparison, the Pixel Buds Pro were introduced at $200 in 2022, but have since been discontinued. However, you can still buy the remaining stock from select retailers at a discounted price of as low as $140. The Pixel Buds Pro

come in six colors
.

Here is a quick look at the raw specifications of the two earbuds.

• 	Google Pixel Buds Pro 2	Google Pixel Buds Pro
  Battery Life	8 hours with ANC	7 hours with ANC
  Noise Cancellation	Yes	Yes
  IP rating	IP54	IPX4 (buds), IPX2 (case)
  Charging	USB-C, Qi wireless	USB-C, Qi wireless
  Driver size	11mm	11mm

Design and fit

Smaller and more comfortable

The design is one of the biggest upgrades to the Pixel Buds Pro 2. Google has made the earbuds smaller and lighter, significantly improving their in-ear experience. Moreover, you get a subtle fin and several different ear tips to get a perfect fit. As a result, you won’t have to worry about them falling out. Plus, the Buds Pro 2 are rated IP54 for dust and water resistance.

The Pixel Buds Pro, in comparison, feel large and clunky, making it slightly more challenging to settle them in place. But once they’re in, you don’t have to worry about them going anywhere. However, the

Buds Pro are limited to IPX4 rating
, meaning you don’t get any dust resistance.

Both earbuds have a dual-tone design, combining black with a fun color. Although Google has reduced the color options in the Pro 2, as mentioned, it still comes in four variants.

Sound and call quality

Excellent audio and ANC performance

The Pixel Buds Pro 2 sound very clean and crisp out of the box. However, they need some tweaking to deliver their best sound. The sound is slightly subdued in the lower frequencies out of the box, resulting in understated bass. Fortunately, you can customize the sound quite a bit to match your preference. Still, the overall performance, including the fidelity, is an improvement over that of the Pixel Buds Pro.

Active noise cancellation
has also improved and is pretty solid on the Buds Pro 2. While it’s not perfect, it can block most ambient sound. The passthrough mode does an excellent job of balancing the audio coming from the earbuds and the ambient sounds. Additionally, the Buds Pro 2 have built-in Conversation Detection, which can automatically detect when you are having a conversation and disable noise cancellation.

The original Pixel Buds Pro also provides excellent sound out of the box, with highs and mids being airy and clear and bass being ample and bouncy. More importantly, if the out-of-the-box sound profile doesn’t match your preference, like the Pixel Buds 2 Pro, you can customize it. That said, side by side, the Buds Pro 2 are a clear step up from the original Buds Pro and deliver a more balanced sound.

You also get spatial audio support with head tracking on both sets of Buds.

In terms of call quality, both earbuds deliver a decent performance, and thanks to Google’s Clear Calling feature, you’ll have no trouble communicating using either Pixel Buds Pro model.

Features and battery life

Google Assistant or Gemini?

Both sets of Pixel Buds Pro support hands-free Google Assistant along with Gemini AI integration. You can program and trigger this AI assistant using one of the buds and ask it to do different things, such as offering walking directions, reminding you about upcoming appointments, making music recommendations, and much more.

Moreover, if you have a Gemini Advanced subscription, you can access Gemini Live and have a free-flowing conversation with AI. That said, Gemini Live isn’t very useful right now.

Another feature that you only get on the Buds Pro 2 is improved Find My Device support for locating your earbuds, with tracking for each individual bud and the case. This feature, coupled with a speaker on the case, provides a sense of security, especially for those prone to misplacing their earbuds. The original Buds Pro have a more limited version of Find My Device.

However, you do have multipoint audio support for connecting to two devices simultaneously on both versions of the earbuds, and Fast Pair for quick pairing with your Android device.

Both Pixel Buds Pro models also excel at battery life. However, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 can last up to eight hours with ANC, whereas the Buds Pro top out at seven. Moreover, the Pro 2 case can add 30 hours of charge with ANC compared to the 20 hours provided by the Buds Pro case. That said, both cases support wireless charging.

Which should you buy?

The Pixel Buds Pro 2 are undoubtedly Google’s best wireless earbuds to date. These include notable upgrades from the previous generation, including an updated design, longer battery life, Find My Device support, dust resistance, and Spatial Audio support. You also get slightly better sound quality, calling performance, and ANC than the Buds Pro. So, if you’re in the market for the best Pixel earbuds, the Buds Pro 2 are an easy pick.

However, if you want a more affordable option with solid audio performance and good battery life, the Pixel Buds Pro are an excellent alternative, especially considering you can find them at a discounted price. That said, while the Buds Pro are still available at many stores, they will likely become more challenging to find over the coming months.

If you already own Pixel Buds Pro and are thinking of upgrading, unless you don’t find your existing pair up to the mark, you can probably wait for the next generation. There are many upgrades, but not enough to shell out $230 if you are already happy with the Buds Pro.