Google's original Pixel Buds Pro didn't garner much of a following for a few reasons. Their design was a bit weird and clunky, they didn't have any noteworthy features, and they didn't have the hype, marketing, or legacy of other popular brands' earphones — like Apple and Samsung.
But the Pixel Buds Pro 2 are now here to try and establish that Google earbuds are here to stay. And they come with upgrades in design and comfort, as well as Gemini integration where you can freely talk and converse with Google's AI. You know, in case people get boring.
All joking aside, we view the Pixel Buds Pro 2 as an upgrade through and through. They still have a few very weird kinks, but generally have the sound quality to compete in their price sector.
ANC On: 8 hours from buds, +22 hours from case ANC Off: 12 hours from buds, +36 hours from case
Ingress protection
IP54 on buds IPX4 on case
Despite making a lot of strides in some areas, Google still refuses to add high-fidelity audio codecs to the Pixel Buds Pro, which is weird. Audiophiles will be looking for those in the specs sheet. However, we found that the buds sound pretty good nonetheless. Also, that battery life is killer!
Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 design and colors
Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 - an actual upgrade (Image credit - PhoneArena)
The Pixel Buds Pro 2 look like a minified version of the original Pixel Buds. The in-ear hook has also been replaced by a smaller and more discreen nub, which rests against your ear and locks the Pixel Buds Pro 2 gently in place.
Google says that you can wear the Pixel Buds Pro 2 in two ways — twist them to lock them in for sports, or untwist them for all-day comfort. This particular reviewer has a hard time keeping earbuds in his ears, which is why I only kept them in "locked in" mode. Even then, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 felt extremely comfortable, light, and barely there, with no ear fatigue.
According to Google, these have been designed to fit every ear. The manufacturer has used 45 million data points from different ear shapes and sizes. And yes, we can tell — these just fit and feel "right". They don't move around even when talking, which again, is not the type of earbud stability I personally get to experience often, thanks to my ears being picky.
Look at me! (Image credit - PhoneArena)
The controls are done via touch panels on the buds. Yes, we typically hate that because you always accidentally touch the capacitive area when you go to adjust a bud. But, since these hardly need adjusting, I didn't find it as annoying as usual. However, you can get a painful sound if you jab a bit too hard while trying to skip a song — common issue with touch controls on in-ear buds, a bit more prevalent here.
What I did find odd is the volume control. Instead of swiping up or down for volume adjustment, you swipe forward for volume up, backwards for volume down. No idea why, but it's definitely something to get used to. Tap once to play and pause, twice for forward, three times to back. The tap and hold gesture can be customized for each earbud — either to activate Transparency Mode or the Gemini assistant. And yes, you can set this per-bud, so you can have both features.
Four tip sizes total, no cable in the box (Image credit - PhoneArena)
These come in Porcelain, Hazel, Wintergreen, and Peony. The first two are slight spins on the classic "white" and "black" color options. The latter two are, in typical Google fashion, fresh and vibrant colors, with one being a teal-ish green, the other is a popping, fun pink. We wish more earbuds out there were fun!
The case itself is just a bit on the bulky side. It also feels hefty, but reassuringly so, as we feel like it's well put-together and sturdy. The buds have IP54 certification, meaning protection against dust and water splashes. The case is IPX4, so only splash protection here — don't drop it in the sand!
Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 sound quality
The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 sound great. They don't over-emphasize bass, which is always a pleasant surprise, they have a slightly scooped character but still enough details in the mids to let you enjoy every instrument, and silky smooth highs with no peaks or screeching.
The app looks nice (Image credit - PhoneArena)
The best way I can describe them as is "polite" — nothing is overdone. Of course, some might say that lacks character or risk-taking, as audiophiles often like to experiment with and enjoy different headphones' and earphones for their specific sound signatures. But, assuming you are not so adventurous, and you just want to reach for a pair of buds that you know will sound good no matter what you throw at them — the Pixel Buds Pro 2 are that set of earbuds.
While Google doesn't seem to directly advertise it, I do feel like the Pixel Buds Pro 2 are actively adjusting their EQ based on the music that's being played, and my ear shape. Listening to a number of pieces I love and know by heart, I could pick up on slight adjustments to the frequencies as the song was going. Either that, or the sound was so clear that I could actually hear the digital file's compression issues.
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The equalizer is pretty generic (Image credit - PhoneArena)
The latter is also a possibility, especially since the Pixel Buds Pro 2 don't support any fancy codecs like LDAC.
Also, a weird thing here, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 sound absolutely awful if you disable ANC or Transparency mode. It may be a bug for now, but if you turn off ANC entirely, the sound from these becomes a flat, flubby, mono-like mess. We've encountered this issue with much cheaper earphones before, but it's pretty weird to see in premium buds. We believe that turning ANC off disables any and all audio enhancements that the Tensor A1 chip is providing, for some reason.
There are a few pre-set sound profiles if you want to try them, but we found the default one to be the best as-is. You can also fine-tune the sound a little bit within the app, but the EQ is anything but elaborate. You are given control via 5 sliders that are simply called "treble, mid, bass...", so not much user agency there. The Nothing Ear, for example, wins here with a much more elaborate Advanced Equalizer.
You can also enjoy spatial audio with these, but only if you pair them to a Pixel phone — Pixel 6 and above, to be exact.
Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 noise cancelation and transparency
Google talks up the ANC of the Pixel Buds Pro 2 quite a lot. We found it to be... fine. It's a bit better than lower-tier earphones on the market, it's not as good as on the AirPods Pro 2. But it does enough to filter out lower hums and drums. Higher-pitched clicks and clacks can still come through, but are quickly drowned out if you play music at low volumes.
The transparency mode is excellent, though — almost lifelike. As is typical, the mids do get more emphasized, so speach sounds even clearer. Though it will also amplify the sound of laptop fans, for example.
Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 connectivity
Connect easily, last forever (Image credit - PhoneArena)
The Pixel Buds Pro 2 support Google's Fast Pair, meaning you just open the case and your nearby Android phone will be ready to pick them up and lock them in. They also support Bluetooth Multipoint, meaning you can have two devices paired to them at all times.
This includes Windows or Mac computers, iPads or iPhones, anything with Bluetooth 4.0 or above! And the Pixel Buds Pro 2 will intelligently identify the newest sound source and switch to that. So, if you are for example listening to music from your laptop, an incoming call from your phone will immediately get the Pixel Buds Pro 2 to switch to that.
Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 Pro battery life
The light is pretty discreet (Image credit - PhoneArena)
These have a very impressive battery life for such small buds — up to 8 hours from the buds with ANC on is something that not a lot of competitors can promise! And yes, we generally did not feel the need to pop the Pixel Buds Pro 2 in their case mid-workday, which was great. The charging case itself will give you another 22 hours of use before it itself needs to be topped up (via USB-C cable or on a Qi pad).
With ANC off, the manufacturer says, you get up to 12 hours from the buds. However, as we pointed out, these sound quite rough if you disable ANC, so this point is moot.
Google Pixel Buds Pro 2, should you buy them?
Cool little buds! (Image credit - PhoneArena)
As mentioned, these are your quickest and easiest way to get earbuds that will very probably fit your ears just right and very probably sound good. They don't take risks, they try to conform and are good at it. Considering they cost $229, that's a good thing.
So yes, we can absolutely recommend the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2.
Against the competition:
We found their fit to be better than the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, as the latter will move around in our ears more if we are talking (annoying during phone calls). However, we like the stem controls on the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro much more, as they combine both pinch and swipe controls. The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro have more emphasized presence in the very top end, but that's not to say that the Pixel Buds Pro 2 sound muffled.
The Pixel Buds Pro 2 will also fit better than Apple AirPods Pro, so they are definitely worth a try if your AirPods keep falling out of your ears.
The Nothing Ear buds come in a bit cheaper and also have pinch controls on their stems. Again, their fit is good, but not as good. The Nothing Ear do have a bit more treble bite and bass to their sound character, but also an Advanced EQ that lets you dive deeper into your own sonic preferences.
Out of all those, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 and the Apple AirPods Pro 2 are the "set it and forget it" buds for those that don't want to deal with fine-tuning and just want good sound.
Preslav, a member of the PhoneArena team since 2014, is a mobile technology enthusiast with a penchant for integrating tech into his hobbies and work. Whether it's writing articles on an iPad Pro, recording band rehearsals with multiple phones, or exploring the potential of mobile gaming through services like GeForce Now and Steam Link, Preslav's approach is hands-on and innovative. His balanced perspective allows him to appreciate both Android and iOS ecosystems, focusing on performance, camera quality, and user experience over brand loyalty.
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