Review: The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 are a bright spot in a dull market

As an avid Pixel Buds Pro owner, I was really excited when Google announced their new earbuds. I do love my Pixel Buds Pro, but there's plenty of room for improvement here — especially when it comes to fit and design. I just wanted some buds that fit in my ears, don't fall out, and sound good. Of course, I also don't want to drop over $300 to get a decent pair of earbuds. There are plenty of great wireless earbuds to choose from, but how exactly do the Pixel Buds Pro 2 compete in a sea of competent devices? I'm happy to report that there's a lot to love here if you can get past a few small hiccups.

Google Pixel Buds Pro 2

8.5 / 10

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.

Pros

• Great ANC and passthrough
• Spatial audio is a plus
• Battery life for days and quick charging
• Great fit and easy-to-use design

Cons

• Connectivity issues when using multipoint
• Gemini Live features aren't really helpful
• Sound took a little tweaking

$229 at Best Buy $229 at Google Store $229 at Amazon

Price, availability, and specs

If you're looking to pick up the Pixel Buds Pro 2, they will set you back $230. You can purchase them on Amazon, Best Buy, or through the Google Store itself. The new buds are offered in four colors: Porcelain, Hazel, Wintergreen, and Peony (which I have for this review.) And let's be clear: I love the Peony pink. We need more fun colors in tech.

Specifications

Battery Life
8 hours with ANC
Noise Cancellation
Yes
Microphones
3
IP rating
IP54
Charging
Type-C, Qi wireless
Driver size
11mm
Dimensions and weight (earbuds)
22.74mm x 23.08mm x 17.03mm; 4.7g
Spatial Audio
Yes
Multipoint support
Yes
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What I liked about the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2

Comfortable fit, adjustable sound

Right out the gate, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 were super easy to set up; I just had to open the case and have my phone in hand. It was by far the quickest process of any device I've tested, other than the Sony Ult Tower 10 , and I'm a big fan of painless setup.

The first thing that really stood out was the new design. The Pixel Buds Pro 2 are much smaller than their predecessor, which is good. They also have a new wing that is perfect for keeping these little guys in place when you slide them in your ears. In fact, Google made it easy to get the perfect fit, unlike the Pixel Buds Pro , which felt large and clunky — settling them in place was always a struggle.

The stem's addition makes it much easier to get the earbuds in your ear properly, and, more importantly, it keeps them firmly in place. This is, by far, the best addition to the buds. At no point did I worry that they were about to fall out, and I felt perfectly at ease during any vigorous workout.

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Once they were in my ears, they were pretty comfortable. I usually pop my buds in before a long walk or a lengthy editing session, so I can wear these buds for several hours before taking a break. Once I found my right size, I actually forgot I was wearing earbuds a few times.

If that does happen frequently, and you worry about how it might damage your ears in the long-term, the Pixel Buds Pro app actually has a Hearing Wellness option that monitors the length of time you've worn and listened to the buds, as well as their volume level. This feature didn't track everything, as I noticed little change after using the buds on my laptop. But if you frequently listen through your phone, this might prove more helpful.

While the buds did shrink, they still have a flat surface, displaying their Google-branded G proudly, and they also feature the new Tensor A1 Chip. The bud's surface is ideal for the gesture controls. The controls are simple and intuitive; they didn't change much from the previous generation. You can easily tap to answer calls and play or pause the buds, double tap to end a call or skip tracks, or triple tap to skip tracks.

The bud's surface area makes it easy to swipe back and forth to change the volume, and it's a simple press and hold to toggle ANC. Bonus points here to Google for making the press and hold customizable; it's up to you which bud, if any of them, controls Gemini. The controls themselves are a little sensitive, and I did find myself accidentally adjusting the volume when I was trying to move my hair out of the way. But other than that, the controls are pretty wonderful.

In terms of fit in general, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 ship with several different ear tips — ranging from extra small to large — to ensure a perfect fit. As someone with small ears, this is great, and I did go back and forth between the smallest two sizes before settling on the right fit for me. The range included should fit most people, but if you were looking for extra large tips, they aren't in the box. The tailored fit is crucial for creating a good seal when wearing the buds, ultimately determining your experience with some of the features, and you can test how good your seal is in the Pixel Buds Pro app.

The ANC on these is pretty solid. It isn't perfect, but it does a great job blocking out most of the sound. As a mother of two kids under 6, these buds were put to the test, and I'd say they came out on top. On a similar note, the passthrough was really impressive. The balance between the earbud sound and the outside world was great, as I was able to take in my surroundings and have conversations with the music still going. Calls were easy to make and accept, and the sound was good on both ends; no complaints there. I also tested video calls on both my Asus Zenbook and the Pixel 8 Pro , and everything sounded as it should.

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The sound on the Pixel Buds Pro 2 did take a little tweaking. I wasn't overly impressed with how they sounded out of the box. Admittedly, I'm a heavy bass girl who likes to sink into the music. So, depending on the song, the audio would sound hollow — the bass was understated, and the overall sound was less full. I found this issue particularly in songs like In the Blood by Darren Korn and Ashley Barrett from the Hades Soundtrack and No One Left To Love by ROOS+BERG from Alan Wake 2, though the sound mix on the latter song was better.

However, after I headed into the settings, I adjusted it more to my liking. Adding the heavy bass option definitely helped, and if you wish, you can even customize your setting to have your perfect sound. After some adjustments, I blasted Livingston's Shadow and was more than pleased. I was also pleasantly surprised by Spatial Audio, which is a nice addition this generation. I tested this feature with some 8D mixes on Spotify, and it was great. While it may not be on the same level as headphones, like my Sony WH1000XM4s, it was pretty close.

Finally, we have battery life, which is pretty stellar. I have yet to charge the buds/case. I'm a chronic overcharger, so not putting my case in the wireless charger has been killing me. But I'm happy to report that I could easily get around 8 hours of time out of the bud, and that's with ANC pumping. If I needed a quick top-off at any point, I'd throw them in the case, and before long — around 15 minutes — they'd have enough juice for another round. That's pretty ideal, considering I am sometimes in calls back to back some days, which isn't great for earbud battery life.

Gemini Live

Like the previous buds, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 feature Google's Assistant, but this time, we have Gemini. Since the buds are compatible with Gemini, you can program one of your buds to open up the AI assistant, and you can ask for the weather, a joke, or to do other small tasks, like set a reminder or an alarm. If you want to opt into the premium AI plan, though — or you're patient enough for it to roll out to free users — you'll get access to Gemini Live. Instead of continuously asking "Hey Google" to get your AI's attention, you can interrupt by just pressing on your earbuds.

While this is a new feature, I honestly couldn't see any real reason to use it. I rarely used Google Assistant on my previous earbuds, and I was just happy I had the option not to include it. However, if you are interested in exploring Gemini Live, it's here, and it works okay.

What I don't like about the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2

Connecting the dots

While my experience with the Pixel Buds Pro 2 is largely positive, one of the biggest annoyances I had to deal with was connectivity issues. The buds connected to my Pixel Pro 8 without any fuss, and I linked it with my Zenbook in just a few minutes, but that's when things started to get interesting. The buds were connected to both devices, but my laptop was the dominant one of the two, and no matter how many times I tried to have my phone take over the buds, it would just keep disconnecting. I had to turn off my laptop to fix it.

Once I was able to link up my phone, it was okay. To listen on my laptop, I have to disconnect from my phone completely — something I didn't have to do with my Sony WH1000XM4 or my Pixel Buds Pro. The connection would also mess with my Spotify connection, and I'd have to close out of the app to get it to play on the right device. That was before I discovered, thanks to reaching out to Google, that there's a Multipoint Toggle buried in the More Setttings menu. While it's a quick fix, it is a bit annoying that this feature isn't easy to find and on by default.

In the same vein, Google's Find My Device relies on connectivity. I dropped an earbud under the kitchen table and walked away, and as long as my phone was connected, the earbud would ring out. However, it was very quiet. I was able to hear it across an open floor plan, but when I put the earbud upstairs in the bathroom, I couldn't hear the ring over the shower. To be clear, I am very happy to have a way to possibly find my earbuds should they ever fall out, but I need to be able to hear where they are. Also, you need to be pretty close to get them to sound off. Still, it's better to have it than not.

Should you buy the Pixel Buds Pro 2?

Overall, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 are a decent improvement over the previous generation. The fit is way better and more customized, the design is more secure, and the color just pops. If you are entrenched in the Google ecosystem, you can't go wrong with the Pixel Buds Pro 2. They offer great ANC, spatial audio, and impressive battery life. They aren't on the high-end price-wise, so they are definitely more affordable than some of the other buds out there, and you get solid features. However, there are a few annoyances you'll just have to get past if you plan on using multi-point connectivity.

The problem with any of that is that the wireless earbuds market is fairly competitive at this point — it's really hard to go wrong. However, I will say the fit and features of the Pixel Buds Pro 2 do put them ahead of other choices for me. So, if you're in the market for some new buds, these are a great pick.

Staff pick

Google Pixel Buds Pro 2

8.5 / 10

The Pixel Buds Pro 2 are a step up from the previous generation, especially regarding fit and design. If you're looking for quality ANC and great battery life, look no further. Packed with features from spatial audio to Google's Find My Device, they are a solid set of earbuds to have around.

$229 at Best Buy $229 at Google Store $229 at Amazon

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