Google announced its second-generation Pixel Buds earbuds, the follow-up to the original Pixel Buds, which came out in 2017. The Pixel Buds add more battery life and are true wireless earbuds.
The new Pixel Buds come in a larger, egg-shaped case versus the flatter case of its predecessor.
Google says with the new Pixel Buds “the experience comes to you” — hands-free access to the Google assistant means you don’t have to turn to your phone. Just say “Hey Google” to ask the Assistant for whatever you need and then you can resume whatever you were doing.
The Pixel Buds are rated at up to 5 hours of continuous listening time on a charge, with a grand total of 24 hours of battery life when using the wireless charging case. That’s exactly the same as Apple’s AirPods. But Google claims that Pixel Buds will keep their Bluetooth connection from three rooms away indoors and up to a football field’s length away when outside. Though, we’re gonna have to wait for a review unit to test that claim.
There doesn’t appear to be any active noise cancelling (ANC) here. In fact there’s a small port that actually allows in a small amount of ambient noise. This is actually not a bad thing, though. While you might want ANC when you’re 30,000 feet in the air on a plane, when you’re jogging through busy streets, saying aware of your environment is important. Instead of cancelling noise out, Pixel Buds simply drown it out using Adaptive Sound. Basically, they automatically adjust the volume as you move from a quiet room to a noisy subway station.
The new Pixel Buds won’t be available until 2020. And when they do ship they’ll cost $179, which is $20 less than AirPods with a wireless charging case
