Pixel Buds Pro 2 vs AirPods Pro 2: Google's new wireless earbuds take on Apple's best?

Google has just announced its new flagship wireless earbuds , the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 . Boasting a powerful new processing chip, twice as effective noise-cancelling, improved audio and new AI features, the new Pixel earbuds hope to make a mark in a highly competitive field.

The new buds' flagship status brings them in direct competition with rival Apple's AirPods Pro 2 – five-star wireless earbuds that remain one of our top recommendations if you want an easy-to-use, comfortable and great-sounding experience, especially if you're an iOS user.

We haven't tested the Pixel Buds Pro 2 yet, but we've dug into the new buds' specifications and Google's claims to see how they might fare against Apple's best. We'll update this page once we have fully reviewed the new Pixel model in due course.

Price

The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 cost £219 / $229 / AU$TBC, and you can pre-order them now. That's an increase over the previous generation's £189 / $199 / AU$299 launch price – the Pixel Buds Pro have since come down in price to roughly £149 / $139 / AU$179 these days.

The new Buds Pro 2's pricing brings it closer to Apple's prevailing flagship, the AirPods Pro 2. Originally launching at £249 / $249 / AU$399, prices have since fallen to £229 / $190 and you can pick them up for even lower during seasonal sales.

Design

The Buds Pro 2's design has the usual smooth circular top with the 'G' of Google embossed on it. But instead of being attached to a bulky, long oval or "squoval" body that ends in an ear tip, they now have a smaller, circular body that should fit better in your ears. Google claims the new earbuds are 27 per cent smaller and 24 per cent lighter than the first-gen Buds Pro – even so far as to state that they are "the smallest premium earbuds on the market". They weigh 4.7g per earbud, which is certainly titchy.

We found the fit and comfort of the previous model a bit tricky – they wouldn't stay securely put and felt cumbersome after a while. Let's hope the reduced size and weight of the new buds help, while Google says a "twist-to-adjust" stabilising feature should allow users to get a better fit whether you're going for a workout or after all-day comfort.

The Buds Pro 2 are available in four appealing hues, both in name and design: Hazel (grey), Porcelain (beige), Wintergreen (green) and Peony (pink). They come in a similar pebble-shaped charging case as before, which emits a ringtone when employing "Find My Device". You can charge the Pixels wirelessly and via USB-C, while the buds' circular top houses the touch controls.

Google has stayed away from Apple's popular stem-and-buds design (even as rivals such as the new Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro have embraced it), but the AirPods Pro 2 remain a lightweight, easy to wear design with long-lasting comfort, measuring in at 5.4g per earbud. You can use the touch capacitative layer on the stems to change volume and pinch the stems to control music playback, switch noise-cancelling modes and take calls.

You only get the white finish with these second-gen AirPods, and the USB-C charging case (which you can charge wirelessly too) emits sounds to indicate charging and location if you employ Find My Device.

Features

The Pixel Buds Pro 2 feature Google's powerful new Tensor A1 chip, which brings with it faster speeds, longer battery life and twice the active noise-cancelling (ANC) performance than before. There are three mics in each earbud, and Google states that the buds adapt to environmental noise up to three million times per second.

This Tensor A1 chip boasts "super wideband" Bluetooth, ultra-low latency audio processing, along with the latest hands-free Gemini AI features. The Buds Pro 2 feature the latest Bluetooth 5.4 version with LE Audio, multipoint Bluetooth and, like the AirPods Pro 2, support spatial audio with head tracking.

Battery life with ANC on has been extended to eight hours on a single charge, with a total of 30 hours with the charging case. With ANC turned off, that expands to 12 hours and 48 hours respectively. That just about beats the AirPods Pro 2's six hours on a single charge, but equals the total 30 hours with ANC turned on. Both models have an IP54 rating.

The AirPods Pro 2 have been on the market for two years, so they're running on Bluetooth 5.3, but feature Apple's own H2 chip that brings with it advanced processing power, adaptive ANC and seamless connection and use with iOS devices.

The repositioned mics and vents in the AirPods Pro 2 allow for effective and more comfortable noise-cancelling. As with the Pixels, it features three modes: full noise-cancelling, Transparency mode and entirely off. AirPods Pro 2 feature adaptive ANC that works organically and adapts continually – we find this works well in every day use.

We've not tested the Pixel Buds Pro 2 yet, but we're keen to test if the noise-cancelling really is twice as effective as the previous model, and how it fares against Apple's best.

Both models feature conversation detection modes and in-ear sensors that detect when you've taken a bud off to pause music (and resume playing when earbuds are put back in).

Of course, the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 work best when connected to Android devices in the same way that Apple's AirPods Pro 2 work best when connected to an iOS device. It's worth noting that each earbuds' full set of features and performance potential are available only when connected to their parent company's own ecosystem. You can still connect AirPods to an Android device via basic Bluetooth (and connect Pixels to an iPhone), but bear in mind many features and user controls might be absent.

Performance

As mentioned, we haven't tested the Pixel Buds Pro 2 yet, so what we can do for now is dig into the sound quality specifications and claims, and hope they offer a better performance than the outgoing model's three-star performance.

The Pixel Buds Pro 2 feature an 11mm dynamic driver in each bud, with a new high-frequency chamber – along with the Tensor A1 chip, they aim to deliver a more "authentic" performance with powerful bass and smooth treble. You also get a five-band EQ to tailor the sound to your personal preferences.

From the launch event, Google claims that the new chip will deliver "accurate, highly detailed and immersive music", even when you're in an area with lots of ambient noise. Google says it has been able to upgrade the audio thanks to 'multipath processing', which essentially gives your streamed music a dedicated highway lane on the processor that is entirely separate from the continuous processing required for the ANC.

We found the outgoing Pixel Buds Pro to have an upfront, energetic presentation. However, the overall detail levels were poor, and we were put off by a bloaty bass and unrefined top end. It all resulted in a flat performance, and didn't come close to competing with the Apple flagship's more dynamic, natural and subtle-sounding performance.

The AirPods Pro 2 feature custom low-distortion, high-excursion drivers and a high dynamic range amplifier that combines with the powerful H2 chip's audio processing to deliver a richly detailed, rhythmically agile and engaging performance. We said in our original review: "There are more layers and textures to dynamic shifts, keeping you hooked on a song. They dig deeper, soar higher without any hint of brightness, and the midrange is beautifully conveyed." Even with ANC turned on, the AirPods deliver an open, airy performance – making them comfortable to listen to for hours.

There's still no word of any higher-quality codec support for the AirPods Pro 2, which stick with the standard AAC Bluetooth codec . We haven't heard of any hi-res codec support for the Pixel Buds Pro 2 either, but will confirm with Google when we get a full review sample.

The other area where we hope Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 can improve is voice call quality. Call quality was especially patchy when outside in windy conditions with the first-gen model, but Google has promised to improve this thanks to beamforming mics, wind-blocking mesh covers and AI-aided algorithm so voices are heard more clearly. The AirPods Pro 2's call quality is decent if a touch thin, with both our and the caller's voices coming through clearly and easily heard.

Initial verdict

Google's updates look promising: the streamlined design and performance upgrades are appealing, and we can only hope they live up to the hype.

The Pixel Buds Pro 2 might have an uphill battle if they want to shake off their predecessor's three-star rating and come close to the AirPods Pro 2's five-star success, but we won't know for sure until we get a review sample in our hands (and into our ears). We imagine most Apple users might not consider a Google-made pair of earbuds, just as Android users may not consider an Apple-specific model, but we find it's still interesting to compare what each brand is offering, especially at this premium price point.

Stay tuned for our official Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 review in the coming months, where we will put them through their paces and compare them against the AirPods Pro 2 in full.

Read our Google Pixel Buds Pro review

And our Apple AirPods Pro 2 review

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