The Google Pixel Buds A-Series are one of the best wireless earbuds for Android devices.

Battery life is not the strongest we've seen, but still more than enough. Although they may not be the best sounding earbuds around, they work so well with Android phones and are such a pleasure to use.

On the Pixel Buds A-Series, Google managed to offer a feature-packed set of earbuds for $80 less than its previous model. And the company did so without cutting too many corners or leaving off a lot of attractive items. At $99, the A-Series jumps near the top of the list of best options in this price range for the tight integration with Google Assistant, comfy fit and sound quality. You might miss wireless charging, but the other features the company left out from the 2020 version are easily forgotten when you’re saving this much.

Google's new Pixel Buds A lose a few features from the Pixel Buds 2, but these $99 true wireless headphones keep their attractive design and sound quality, making them a good deal for Android users.

That makes them some of the best-sounding true wireless earbuds you can get for under £100. The case is good, the battery life is decent, they don’t stick out far from your ears and have some fancy features with Android phones but also work fine with Windows PCs and Apple devices.

For the money these offer a decent range of features to Android owners and, particularly, Google Pixel users.

The true wireless Google Pixel Buds A-Series earphones offer good sound quality and hands-free Google Assistant voice control for an affordable price.

At $100, Google's Pixel Buds A-Series live up to the value-but-not-cheap reputation forged by the Pixel A phone line. Excellent sound and comfort combine with useful features like always-on Google Assistant and a superb onboarding experience, which forgive a lack of wireless charging and active noise cancelation.

Under $100. Instant pairing with many Android devices. Comfortable, ergonomic design. Balanced, detailed sound. Above-average call quality. IPX4 water resistance for workouts. Google Assistant integration.

There are some notable trade-offs at this low price, namely the lack of now ubiquitous features such as ANC and a transparency mode for staying on top of your surroundings. The Buds A are especially no-frills when paired to an iPhone, as Apple users will miss out on the ability to ask the Google Assistant for the weather or their favorite song without lifting a finger. There are also some quirks to the charging case, which gets dirty very easily and can get stuck on metal objects if you’re not careful.

The Pixel Buds A-Series drop niche features to deliver a hands-free Google Assistant experience for under £100

The lightweight earphones are comfortable and work seamlessly with your Android device. Its IPX4 rating makes this a great option for those who live in humid climates or athletes, and the microphone quality is good for phone calls. Still, there are plenty of similarly priced options with fewer audio quirks.

By holding onto a lot of what worked best on the 2020 Pixel Buds — namely sound quality and hands-free voice controls — and improving other parts that didn’t, Google has ended up with an appealing set of $99 earbuds. The Pixel Buds A-Series haven’t fully stamped out the biggest issue that dragged down their pricier older sibling, and the level of outside noise your tunes compete against will turn some people away. But even with some of the things Google left out, you’re getting a better overall product for less money.

Google's Pixel Buds A-Series are affordable earbuds with great sound and a unique, attractive design, but a dearth of advanced features like active noise cancellation may turn some people off.

In the US, the Pixel Buds A-series retail for $99, and for the given set of features and the balanced sound signature, you won't be disappointed if you pick up a pair. Of course, the lack of ANC and the slight struggle with lower frequencies might put some people off, but most general consumers would be more than satisfied with the Pixel Buds A-series.

If I’m being completely honest, I doubt very much that the Pixel Buds A-Series will replace the second-generation Pixel Buds for me or for many of you out there. The lack of swipe controls has been something I have really missed and something I thought I could live without. Wireless charging has also been a bugbear but much less so.

The Pixel Buds A-Series earbuds and charging case both have the same design as the 2020 Pixel Buds, and that is a great thing. The earbuds have one of the most secure fits of any earbuds I have tested, and running with them has been a fabulous experience. The Pixel Buds A-Series passed my lawnmower test and while they don't have ANC, I was still able to enjoy music flawlessly with a loud lawnmower and gas blower in my hands. It was also great to listen to podcasts with one earbud in while driving five hours in the southern part of the US.

Whether three or two charging contacts are installed does not matter (at first) – nor does the lack of a “noise alerts” function. So if you can live with these limitations because you don’t need them, in the future, you can put the Pixel Buds to the side and save 100 Euros with the new A-Series instead.

The seamless Android integration of the Pixel Buds A Series makes them worth your money. Google added an IPX4 rating for good measure, and the fit is comfortable too. Just make sure you update to the latest firmware to iron out some initial bugs.

They have a somewhat neutral sound profile, although they have an underemphasized bass range. A dip in the mid-treble also dulls sibilants like cymbals a bit. Since they're in-ears, their passive soundstage doesn't feel very immersive or spacious as well. On the upside, once you achieve a good fit, they have fairly consistent audio delivery.

The Google Pixel Buds A-Series offer nearly all the same features as the Pixel Buds 2 at half the price and with better bass response. They’re not the most comfortable true wireless earbuds, but we appreciate their slick design and built-in Google Assistant.

Impressive sound for a reasonable price – and comfortable too