Google is concentrating on providing us with brand-new hardware at Google I/O 2022 this year. The Pixel Buds Pro, a new addition to Google’s headphone collection, is one of the event’s highlights.
Google has worked its way through the Pixel Buds range over the previous few years. Google’s Buds, second-generation Pixel Buds, and the Pixel Buds A-Series are just a few of the many varieties we’ve grown to know and love. There was one thing that all of those earphones had in common. First and foremost, they were Android-centric. As a result, features like Fast Pair and Google Assistant became standard on the earbuds and were pioneered across the range.
Google New Pixel Buds Pro
The Pixel Buds Pro, strong new addition to the family of Assistant-powered headphones, was launched today by Google. These are Google’s first ANC earphones, providing excellent sound without interruptions or outside noise. Pass-through is also available with the new Pixel Buds Pro. All of this, along with a Google-designed audio processor and beam-forming microphones, will offer crystal-clear audio and excellent noise cancellation. According to Google, the new Pixel Buds Pro will last 11 hours with ANC switched on and 7 hours without.
While we haven’t seen them in person yet, the Buds Pro — both the casing and the earbuds themselves — look quite similar to their predecessors, with the exception of two venting openings on each and a slightly enlarged driver portion. The casing looks to be the same and allows wireless charging.
The Pixel Buds Pro, like the rest of Google’s hardware, promise a set-it-and-forget experience, with volume that adjusts automatically based on how loud the environment is, and multipoint support that aims to seamlessly transition between two connected devices, similar to Apple’s ecosystem-wide auto-switching. Support for this feature was confirmed at CES, however, it’s unclear whether it will be backported to previous Pixel Buds versions.
The Pixel Buds Pro also have a real transparency mode, which was previously unavailable on any of the company’s earbuds, but the 2020 model does include a version of this dubbed “Attention Alerts,” which lowers the level when it hears emergency sirens, kids crying, or dogs barking. The Buds Pro, like the previous variants, include a hands-free Google Assistant, automated Google Translate, and an IPX4 water-resistant designation. Google is also promoting spatial audio compatibility for the Pixel Buds Pro later this year, which we already know is coming with Android 13, so the timing makes sense.
Battery life is seven hours with ANC activated and eleven hours without it – fantastic stats that I’m looking forward to delving into when they get here.
Google will send an OTA update to the Pixel Buds Pro “later this year” that will enable the earphones to use Spatial Audio for a more immersive experience. The new buds will be on sale for $199 on July 21 and will be available in four colourways: Lemongrass, Charcoal, Fog, and Coral.
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