Is it love at first sight? It was! That was until my Pixel Buds Pro 2 got some scratches. Nonetheless, these are a pair of truly wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds that I wholeheartedly recommend to anyone and everyone.
The Pixel Buds Pro 2 arrived two years after the original Pixel Buds Pro were unleashed on the market. Why do I say love at first sight? That’s because the moment I unboxed them and took them for a spin. In short, it’s the fit that has bowled me over. The Pixel Buds Pro 2 are smaller (thanks partly due to removing the wings) in size, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised. They are much smaller than the photos indicate. Google prides itself on the snug fit, and I agree.
It’s one of the most snug fits of any TWS earbuds I’ve tried in 2024. Instead of the wing tips, there is a twist-to-adjust stabiliser to help with the fit. Just twist them left or right and get the perfect fit for you. There are two benefits of this new design. First, they won’t fall out of your ears, even when running, exercising, or head banging. Second, you’ll get a better seal and a better ability to block out environmental sounds.
I’ve consistently worn these TWS earbuds for the past few months and have nothing to complain about regarding the design. They don’t hurt my ears and don’t wear them down. I was even running the other day to catch a local train in Mumbai, but they didn’t pop out.
The buds have a little wing-like thing on them to help keep them in place. They are rubberised and don’t grate against portions of your ear. The earbuds weigh just 4.7 grams. Kudos to the research and development team for taking their time and creating a truly comforting product. But I do have one complaint. I got the Porcelain colourway, and several smudges appeared within just a few days. Cleaning them was a pain.
But enough about the fit. Let’s talk about the controls
How are the gesture controls?
I’m really happy that Google retained the volume controls for the Pixel Buds Pro 2. Swipe from back to forth, and the volume increases. Doing the opposite, from front to back, decreases the volume. It takes a hot minute to use this, but at least I didn’t need to refer to my phone to adjust the volume repeatedly. Once learnt, it’s like muscle memory.
Then there are the straightforward controls that most other TWS earbuds have. Single tap for play/pause, double tap to skip the song, and triple tap for the previous song. Then, a long press on each bud can adjust the ANC or bring up Gemini (Google’s AI assistant). These are easily customisable.
Sound quality and ANC
There’s a new Tensor A1 chip under the hood! Yes, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 has received a huge upgrade. The new chip and the 11mm drivers make the Pixel Buds Pro 2 sound much crisper and more detailed. This time around, the biggest improvement concerns the instrument separation. There’s also an upgraded acoustic architecture and a new high-frequency chamber for smoother treble.
This is what stuck out for me on the Pixel Buds Pro 2. There’s a lot more depth, and the sound is more crisp. The earbuds are a lot more natural than before. It’s truly like you’re attending a concert. This is in part due to the wide soundstage that these buds feature. I listened to dozens of tracks and felt the same, regardless of genre.
I was lost amidst the music from Beyonce to Kanye West and Too Sweet by Hozier to Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day. One thing I was happy about was the fact that the bass was not overpowering. That’s been my biggest complaint concerning many TWS earbuds in 2024, but the Pixel Buds Pro 2 passed the bass test with aplomb. Instrument separation is significantly better for these buds. I’ve been obsessed with Ethiopian Jazz these days (thanks to the hit movie All We Imagine As Light), and it's blissful to hear each instrument clearly.
Even podcasts sounded crisp and clean. I listened to Pop Culture Happy Hour from NPR and a couple of football and Formula 1 podcasts, and the voices were clean and amplified. I could hear and identify each individual without a problem.
There are some preset EQ settings for Android users, but also a fully customisable EQ! You can tweak it to your heart's content. All in all, Google has done a great job concerning sound quality. Spatial audio (with head tracking) has made a comeback, but this only works with the Pixel Tablet (not available in India) or Pixel smartphones (not the Pixel A-series).
What I liked most was how well the transparency mode worked. It allows ample outside noise, making it feel very natural. For example, I can hear far-away bus noises when crossing the street. Even passive noise isolation does a great job of keeping unwanted external noises from drifting into your ears.
The active noise cancellation (ANC) didn’t leave me with a ten-on-ten impression. With a tight seal and ANC enabled, the world outside me quieted down, but I could hear the keyboard keys as I typed out this review during some less loud songs.
Gemini integration
Yes, I was underwhelmed by the Gemini integration. You can press the buds to ask a question, including follow-ups, but it’s annoying to ask multiple questions. You can also just say “Hey Google” to open the Gemini Live AI.
The thing with the Gemini integration is that it is much easier just to type it out on the Gemini Live app on your smartphone. When talking to the assistant, a lot of things can get missed, and you might have to repeat them consistently.
Battery life and charging
Battery life is another area that has significantly improved this time. Without ANC turned on, the earbuds can play for 12 hours on a single charge. When ANC is turned on, it lasts a respectable 8 hours. With the charging case, the battery life can be up to 30 hours (with ANC on) and 48 hours (with ANC off). Many rival earbuds, including the AirPods 4, have far less battery life.
Charging the buds is easy. You can use a USB-C cable or a wireless charger.
Verdict
The Pixel Buds Pro 2 is easily Google’s greatest hardware product of 2024. They’re supremely comfortable, have great sound quality, have a very useful transparency mode, and have fantastic battery life. Their AI integration may underwhelm them, but so are many other TWS earbuds. Yes, the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, Sony XM5s, Bose QuietComfort, and more have extremely good sound quality, but as an overall package, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 win the day.
At Rs 22,900, these buds aren’t inexpensive by any means. In fact, getting them at a discount would be the icing on the cake. Anything under Rs 20,000, and these are an instant buy.
I’ve taken long calls with the Pixel Buds Pro 2 and sometimes forgot I was even using them. That’s a testament to the research and development of these earbuds.
The AirPods will be a better bet if you’re an Apple iPhone user. The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro would be better suited if you're a Samsung user. But, if you have any other smartphone out there, look no further than the Pixel Buds Pro 2.
As a bonus (just like the AirPods Pro 2), Google added a speaker to the Pixel Buds Pro 2. When you misplace the Pixel Buds Pro 2, you can ping the case, and it will emit a sound to help you find it easily.
