I was a pretty big fan of the Pixel Buds (2020). Compared to Apple’s AirPods, they stayed snug in my ears regardless of what I was doing, offered solid sound quality for the time, and featured a generally cool-looking design. Following rampant reports about disconnection issues, Google unceremoniously discontinued the Pixel Buds (2020), quickly releasing the Pixel Buds Series-A. Then, a few years later, Google’s Pixel Buds Pro arrived. They received relatively solid reviews, and while I tried them briefly, I did find myself reaching for my trusty AirPods Pro 2 again after a few weeks, mainly because Apple’s earbuds still sound better despite being a couple of years old.

Fast-forward to now, and Google has released the Pixel Buds Pro 2. Do they offer enough to pull me away from the AirPods 4 (my current favorite wireless earbuds) and the super comfortable Nothing’s Ear (open)? They offer several upgrades over the Pixel Buds Pro, including eight hours of battery life, a more comfortable design, Google’s Tensor AI chip, and improved noise-cancellation.

While these additions are welcome, they don’t sound great and feature a flat audio profile with very little bass and range. Their audio quality isn’t Beats Solo Buds bad, but the several-year-old AirPods Pro (2nd gen) blow them away. Even the AirPods 4 and Galaxy Buds 3 Pro sound notably better than the Pixel Buds Pro 2. You can solve the lackluster audio issue by diving into the Pixel Buds Pro 2’s settings and shifting the profile to “Heavy Bass” or “Balanced,” which you can even do through a Chrome-based browser if you’re a MacBook or iPhone user. Unfortunately, even then, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 don’t sound stellar, making them difficult to recommend despite their other solid features.

Price, availability, and specs

Google’s Pixel Buds Pro 2 are available directly from Google for $229. The wireless earbuds work with Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, and other devices, though some features are limited to Android devices, like automatically pausing whatever you’re listening to or watching when you remove the earbuds. The Pixel Buds Pro 2 are IP54 water-resistant — which means they can withstand light splashes of water — and their case comes in at IPX4, which makes it resistant to sweat and not much else. Other features include Bluetooth 5.4, LE Audio, Super wideband, and Google’s Tensor AI chip, which powers the Pixel Buds Pro 2’s Gemini integration.

Each bud’s driver is 11mm, and there are three microphones alongside a motion-detecting accelerometer, gyroscope, and capacitive touch sensor. The Pixel Buds Pro 2 support active noise cancellation, a Transparency Mode, and Google’s Clear Calling technology. Battery life comes in at 12 hours with active noise cancellation off, an impressive eight hours with ANC on, and 30 hours from the charging case. Google says a five-minute charge will give you an hour and a half of listening time with ANC off.

Each earbud weighs 0.16oz (4.7g), and the charging case is 2.29oz (65g). Individual earbuds with a medium ear tip measure 0.9 x 0.9 x 06-inches (22.74 x 23.08 x 17.03mm) and the charging case is 1.9 x 2.4 x 0.98-inches (49.9 x 63 x 25mm). The Pixel Buds Pro 2 are available in porcelain, hazel (featured in this review), wintergreen (by far the best color), and peony.​​​​​​​

What I liked about the Pixel Buds Pro 2

Cool-looking and comfortable

Despite their sound quality issues, there’s still a lot to like about Google’s Pixel Buds Pro 2. First, they’re some of the most comfortable wireless earbuds I’ve ever worn — they’re still in-ear like the AirPods Pro 2 but sit further out of my ears. This almost completely removes the weird pressure sensation I experience with in-ear earbuds that seal off my ear canal. The Pixel Buds Pro 2 in-ear pressure relief vents work way better than AirPods Pro 2’s.

The Pixel Buds Pro 2 sit securely in my ears with their default ear tips, unlike the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4, and Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, three pairs of earbuds I recently tested. I’ve gone for walks, done some gardening, and cleaned my house with Google’s earbuds on, and I haven’t encountered a single accidental drop, thanks to their subtle wing tip that keeps them locked firmly in place. Sometimes, it even feels like there’s nothing in my ears, and as someone who generally hates wireless earbuds, I really appreciate this. The earbuds are very comfortable to wear for long periods, which is notable given their excellent eight-hour battery life, surpassing many similarly priced high-end wireless earbuds.

Active noise-cancellation is pretty good with the Pixel Buds Pro 2, but it’s not up to par with the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro or AirPods Pro 2. Despite being in-ear, some sound still finds its way through the wireless earbuds. However, it gets the job done if you only want to block out some noise. “Transparency” mode is fine and allows adequate noise to come through the earbuds while you’re listening to music or a podcast. However, similar to every pair of wireless earbuds I’ve ever used, I don’t find the feature very useful.

I oddly don’t have the option to enable “Conversation Detection” on my Pixel Buds Pro 2, which is disappointing given how helpful I’ve found the audio fading feature with other earbuds. However, it appears to be a somewhat common problem — my guess is it’s a weird regional software update issue — so I’ve reached out to Google for more information. Other features I enjoy include raising and lowering the volume directly on the Pixel Buds Pro 2 with a swipe, which not every pair of wireless earbuds offers.

While I don’t have much of a use for hands-free Gemini integration, it’s neat to be able to ask the AI-powered assistant questions from Pixel Buds Pro 2 and have it respond directly in my ear, even if it was kind of difficult to test given all the Google devices in my home office. I don’t find the hands-free Gemini particularly useful, but others might if they’re well-acquainted with the AI. As a side note, it’s odd you need to ensure your phone is unlocked first. It makes sense, given your Android device powers the feature, but it still feels strange.

What I didn’t like about the Pixel Buds Pro 2

Unfortunately, they don’t sound great

One of the weirdest issues I’ve encountered with the Pixel Buds Pro 2 is how the audio drops out when they’re connected to my iPhone 16. Sometimes, it works fine for a bit, but then, randomly, the audio will briefly disappear and then return again. I haven’t encountered this problem with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold or my MacBook Pro, and it also doesn’t happen every time I connect the earbuds to my iPhone 16, making the predicament even more elusive. Since most iPhone users probably aren’t buying the Pixel Buds Pro 2, this is probably a specific “me” problem, but it’s still worth mentioning.

The Pixel Buds Pro 2’s mic quality is lackluster, though I have the same thoughts about almost every pair of wireless earbuds I’ve ever used. It’s not awful by any means, but it’s not great either, and some even think the mic is worse than the original Pixel Buds Pro’s. My voice sounds muffled and far away, regardless of how I position the earbud in my ear.

Above everything else, my main issue with the Pixel Buds 2 Pro is how they really don’t sound as good as $229 earbuds should — the default sound profile is extraordinarily flat and lacks bass. When you change to a different profile, they sound a bit better but still nowhere near as good as the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4, or even the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, to name a few great-sounding wireless earbuds. At this price point and all their other great features, I expected more from the Pixel Buds Pro 2. After all, most people are likely buying them to listen to audio and not for their Gemini integration or unique design.

Should you buy the Pixel Buds Pro 2?

I wanted to like Google’s Pixel Buds Pro 2. They’re cool-looking, especially when it comes to their colors, and highly comfortable thanks to their unique winged design. But with so many great-sounding wireless earbuds out there, they’re tough to recommend unless you’re a die-hard Pixel smartphone user that really wants to use Google’s Gemini voice-activated assistant hands-free. Most people will be better off with the Galaxy Buds Pro 3 or AirPods Pro 2, depending on what your primary device is.