It was back in October 2019 (which feels like decades ago right?) when Google introduced a brand new version of their wireless earbuds. The new Pixel Buds seemed like a drastic improvement over the previous version released a couple of years ago but instead of calling it Pixel Buds 2, they just decided to re-use the original name. Now it’s finally available for purchase in the U.S. although it’s just the Clearly White version that you can buy for now.
The much-improved Pixel Buds has a lot of new things going for it if you’re looking for a truly wireless pair of earbuds. For one, it has better Bluetooth connectivity and a Fast Pair feature so it’s pretty easy to pair and connect it with your smartphone or computer. The sound quality has also been improved and it combines signals from the beamforming mics and a special sensor that tracks your jaw movement so making and taking calls is a pretty good experience.
The earbuds also come with Adaptive Sound which adjusts the volume of whatever you’re listening to based on the external noise. So if you’re in a noisy environment, the volume will go up automatically but if you move to a relatively quiet place, it will go back to its regular volume. You will also be able to trigger your Google Assistant from the Pixel Buds so you can do things like hear your notifications, reply to a text message through voice, launch your music player, navigate your journey, etc.
Another great feature that comes with your wireless earbuds is real-time translation. You’ll see a split-screen UI on your Android smartphone so you can see what is being said and then the translation on the other half of the screen in conversation mode. Each of the earbuds has capacitive touch sensors to control music, calls, and your Google Assistant while the proximity sensors play and pause the music when you take them out of your ears or put them back on.
You can now order your Pixel Buds in Clearly White for $179 through the Google Store and other retailers like AT&T, Best Buy, Target (coming early May), T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular, Verizon and Walmart. Later on, the other colors like Almost Black, Quite Mint, and Oh So Orange will also be available.
