It's time for a new pair of affordable Pixel Buds

06 Oct 2024, 10:42 by Taylor Kerns · Android Police

The Pixel Buds Pro 2 are really good; they're smaller and more comfortable than the last generation, while delivering significantly better battery life and noise canceling performance. They're my favorite earbuds right now. The only trade-off is that the Buds Pro 2 are $230 — not as expensive as top-shelf earbuds from Apple, Bose, or Sony, but a $30 price increase coming from the original Pixel Buds Pro all the same.

I do think the Buds Pro 2 are competitive at their new, higher price point. But anyone looking for Google buds for less today will pick up the Pixel Buds A-Series, a $99 pair of three-year-old earbuds that was very okay by 2021 standards, but looks and feels conspicuously dated next to the rest of Google's current-gen hardware. I think it's about time for a new pair of affordable earbuds from Google.

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

A perfect fit with a little extra flair

What's wrong with the Pixel Buds A-Series?

Poor battery life and dated hardware

I reviewed the Pixel Buds A-Series in 2021, and even at the time, I didn't come away all that impressed. I liked them okay — Google's midrange earbuds sounded quite good relative to other $100 earbuds — but even without ANC, battery life was short at about five hours per charge, and I wasn't a fan of the earbuds' semi-open design that let in a lot of ambient sound. Five-hour battery life is even less appealing today than it was three years ago, and I'm ever increasingly annoyed at earbuds that don't offer wireless charging, another A-Series omission.

Addressing the Pixel Buds A-Series's most obvious faults is a good place to start, but a new pair of midrange Pixel Buds could also borrow a lot from the Pixel Buds Pro 2, which are positively tiny, but offer stellar battery life and great audio.

Why a new pair of midrange Pixel Buds makes sense

It'd fill a need and make Google's ecosystem more complete

I don't think the 2021 Pixel Buds A-Series are a good buy at $100 today. They weren't a great buy at that price three years ago, and competition's only gotten more heated since. But Google could use the A-Series as a template to make a good, modern pair of earbuds at a price point that would make them an attractive ecosystem add-on in a way the existing model no longer is.

The Pixel Buds A-Series have a sort of odd build that isn't fully open, but also doesn't create an airtight seal. Google's rationale was that that would help prevent the in-ear pressure caused by earbuds that push into your ears with silicone or foam tips. It might be a little more comfortable, but the sort of-open design had the effect of letting in a lot of external sound.

4 ways Google's first-gen Pixel Buds missed the mark

Google's learned a lot since 2017

I don't think that design was a winner. If Google wants a fit that doesn't cause that plugged-ear feeling, a hard plastic tip is probably the way to go. It's one of the delineating features between both Samsung and Apple's standard and Pro earbuds — the Galaxy Buds Pro 3 and AirPods Pro 2 both have silicone ear tips, while the standard Galaxy Buds 3 and AirPods 4 are plastic.

Google tried its hand at plastic-tipped buds with 2017's Pixel Buds, which were bad , but the company's learned a lot since then. I don't think the stem look Samsung and Apple prefer would be in keeping with Google's other hardware, but something like the Pixel Buds Pro 2's subtle silicone fin could help with getting a secure fit.

The Pixel Buds Pro 2 are very petite.

With a similar footprint to the Buds Pro 2, hard plastic tips, and ANC, a new pair of non-Pro Pixel Buds would be well positioned to compete with Google's biggest competition at $129 — a price increase in keeping with the new Pro buds, but one that still undercuts Samsung.

Compared to the Pixel Buds Pro 2, concessions would have to be made to hit that price point. But I wouldn't see losing Google's custom Tensor A1 chip and the ANC gains it facilitates as too big an issue in cheaper buds, and if the things could eke out six or seven hours of battery life, they'd easily clear the bar set by the 2020 Pixel Buds and the existing A-Series.

Google could even drop the mildly confusing A-Series name. Google's 2020 Pixel Buds were a follow-up to the 2017 Pixel Buds, but repurposed the same name, presumably because Google wanted to reboot the Pixel Buds brand after its disastrous debut. That was probably the right choice, and it also means the Pixel Buds 2 name is still available. The Pixel Buds Pro 2 are a resoundingly successful sequel — now Google just needs to give its more affordable buds the same treatment.

Best wireless earbuds in 2024

Your ears deserve the best, so choose the best wireless earbuds