With the Pixel Buds Pro 2, Google has finally made a no-compromise AirPods rival. They sound great, last long, and offer a plethora of smart software features.
My underwhelming impression of Gemini Live shouldn’t detract from these earbuds, though! As a vector for accessing Gemini, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 work great. I’ve never had to speak particularly loudly, and while I’ve spotted some errors in my words when going over the transcripts, Gemini generally always got the gist. Voice call performance also remains a key strength thanks to Google’s Clear Calling feature, which optimizes voice clarity using a heap of machine learning — both on the earbuds and on your Pixel smartphone.
Google has once again supplanted the best Pixel Buds in its lineup. These earbuds aren’t perfect, but the improved fit and sound quality alone are worth the upgrade.
Once again, Google has stuck with AAC and SBC has the two audio codecs supported. Some folks were disappointed that the original Pixel Buds Pro didn't support LDAC or AptX. Honestly, the lack of additional codec support shouldn't be a dealbreaker. It's hard to tell the difference between AAC and AptX (or LDAC) even if you have a music streaming service like Qobuz or Tidal that offers high-resolution audio.
This is a pretty easy pair of true wireless buds to recommend. The price is steep at $229, but as I said earlier, it’s lower than “Pro” bud competitors while still offering the specs and features you should get with a price tag of this level.
Alongside being comfortable, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 sound great, offer excellent noise cancellation and transparency modes, and have a robust feature set with strong battery life and good call performance.
The Pixel Buds Pro 2 are a nice improvement over the previous generation, with better fit and interesting new features. With great ANC and up to 8 hours of battery life, these are good buds to have around. You will have to tweak the sound, though, to get it just right.
The Pixel Buds Pro 2 offer strong sound quality and solid noise cancellation in a comfortable design, along with Google Gemini support and seamless integration with Pixel phones.
At $199, the Pixel Buds Pro are the best earbuds for Pixel phone owners and some of the best for Android users. From their excellent sound quality and long battery life to the smart features and comfortable design, these earbuds still hold up strong, even a year after release.
The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 are decent for office use. Their active and passive isolation does a very good job of limiting the ambient din of office chatter and the consistent rumble of ventilation systems. Their fit can also be adjusted to be more relaxed, leaning less on the potentially intrusive stabilizer. They have just over eight hours of battery life with ANC on, so they'll get most people through an average workday. They also support multi-device pairing, so you can switch between listening to your work mix and a Teams call without issue. That said, if you're in a louder space like a bullpen, the earbuds' microphones may pick up background conversations while you're on a call.
At $229, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 are more like productive powerhouses that make things a little easier on the go or in the office, though I don’t know if Google added much in the way of quality to justify the price. You can certainly relax and jam out to music, but it won’t be the singular best option if that’s all you want. The value, rather, is in the software and in Gemini.
The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 are an excellent Pixel phone companion at launch, offering a slew of useful improvements and features that the original Pixel Buds Pro do not. Though the new tuning might not satisfy bassheads, the EQ presets are good enough to handle just about any preference. For $229, this might be a tall ask, but many people will love these earbuds.
The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 offers decent sound quality, improved noise cancellation, a great transparency mode and a much smaller frame, but unfortunately many of the improvements are overshadowed by awkward market placement and design issues. The design of the buds, small as they are, may sit more awkwardly in the user’s ears than the previous generations, and the price is quite high for the sound quality you get – especially when the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pros are priced similarly. As a longtime user of the original Pixel Buds Pro, I see little reason to upgrade.
Sep 30, 2024 | Full Review…
Google’s all-new Pixel Buds Pro 2 deliver pleasant sound, substantial ANC, and unique AI functionality in a sleek and incredibly small package.
Alex Bracetti
Oct 09, 2024 | Full Review…
The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 are the best earbuds Google has ever made, and that comes from the outstanding comfort and sound quality they offer.
David Walters
Dec 05, 2024 | Full Review…
With the Pixel Buds Pro 2, Google has finally made a no-compromise AirPods rival. They sound great, last long, and offer a plethora of smart software features.
Shubham Agarwal
Sep 25, 2024 | Full Review…
An extremely comfortable fit, intuitive controls, and excellent ANC.
Dua Rashid
Sep 25, 2024 | Full Review…
My underwhelming impression of Gemini Live shouldn’t detract from these earbuds, though! As a vector for accessing Gemini, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 work great. I’ve never had to speak particularly loudly, and while I’ve spotted some errors in my words when going over the transcripts, Gemini generally always got the gist. Voice call performance also remains a key strength thanks to Google’s Clear Calling feature, which optimizes voice clarity using a heap of machine learning — both on the earbuds and on your Pixel smartphone.
Chris Welch
Sep 28, 2024 | Full Review…
Small and comfortable. Excellent noise canceling. Good battery life. Work perfectly with Android. Wireless charging and USB-C.
Parker Hall
Sep 25, 2024 | Full Review…
Google has once again supplanted the best Pixel Buds in its lineup. These earbuds aren’t perfect, but the improved fit and sound quality alone are worth the upgrade.
Billy Steele
Sep 25, 2024 | Full Review…
Once again, Google has stuck with AAC and SBC has the two audio codecs supported. Some folks were disappointed that the original Pixel Buds Pro didn't support LDAC or AptX. Honestly, the lack of additional codec support shouldn't be a dealbreaker. It's hard to tell the difference between AAC and AptX (or LDAC) even if you have a music streaming service like Qobuz or Tidal that offers high-resolution audio.
David Carnoy
Sep 25, 2024 | Full Review…
This is a pretty easy pair of true wireless buds to recommend. The price is steep at $229, but as I said earlier, it’s lower than “Pro” bud competitors while still offering the specs and features you should get with a price tag of this level.
Kellen
Oct 09, 2024 | Full Review…
Alongside being comfortable, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 sound great, offer excellent noise cancellation and transparency modes, and have a robust feature set with strong battery life and good call performance.
Prakhar Khanna
Sep 25, 2024 | Full Review…
The Pixel Buds Pro 2 are a nice improvement over the previous generation, with better fit and interesting new features. With great ANC and up to 8 hours of battery life, these are good buds to have around. You will have to tweak the sound, though, to get it just right.
Sara Gitkos
Sep 25, 2024 | Full Review…
The Pixel Buds Pro 2 offer strong sound quality and solid noise cancellation in a comfortable design, along with Google Gemini support and seamless integration with Pixel phones.
Christian De Looper
Dec 04, 2024 | Full Review…
At $199, the Pixel Buds Pro are the best earbuds for Pixel phone owners and some of the best for Android users. From their excellent sound quality and long battery life to the smart features and comfortable design, these earbuds still hold up strong, even a year after release.
Max Buondonno
Jan 27, 2025 | Full Review…
The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 are decent for office use. Their active and passive isolation does a very good job of limiting the ambient din of office chatter and the consistent rumble of ventilation systems. Their fit can also be adjusted to be more relaxed, leaning less on the potentially intrusive stabilizer. They have just over eight hours of battery life with ANC on, so they'll get most people through an average workday. They also support multi-device pairing, so you can switch between listening to your work mix and a Teams call without issue. That said, if you're in a louder space like a bullpen, the earbuds' microphones may pick up background conversations while you're on a call.
Matthew Lopes, Nicholas Lim, And Yannick Khong
Sep 25, 2024 | Full Review…
At $229, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 are more like productive powerhouses that make things a little easier on the go or in the office, though I don’t know if Google added much in the way of quality to justify the price. You can certainly relax and jam out to music, but it won’t be the singular best option if that’s all you want. The value, rather, is in the software and in Gemini.
Andrew Romero
Oct 07, 2024 | Full Review…
The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 are an excellent Pixel phone companion at launch, offering a slew of useful improvements and features that the original Pixel Buds Pro do not. Though the new tuning might not satisfy bassheads, the EQ presets are good enough to handle just about any preference. For $229, this might be a tall ask, but many people will love these earbuds.
Christian Thomas
Sep 27, 2024 | Full Review…
Google's Pixel Buds Pro 2 deliver superior sound and great battery life, though its Gemini integration still needs some work.
Alex Kidman
Sep 26, 2024 | Full Review…
The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 offers decent sound quality, improved noise cancellation, a great transparency mode and a much smaller frame, but unfortunately many of the improvements are overshadowed by awkward market placement and design issues. The design of the buds, small as they are, may sit more awkwardly in the user’s ears than the previous generations, and the price is quite high for the sound quality you get – especially when the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pros are priced similarly. As a longtime user of the original Pixel Buds Pro, I see little reason to upgrade.
Zachariah Kelly