When Google announced their Pixel Buds a couple of years ago, it wasn’t really what people expected with their wireless headphones. It wasn’t actually fully wireless since there was a weird cord running between the two earbuds. Now they have corrected that error with the new Google Pixel Buds which has gone completely cordless and it looks pretty impressive (at least based on the images and promotional video). Plus, you get instant access to Google Assistant so that’s always a plus.
The Pixel Buds have been designed to fit comfortably in your ear and is not too oversized that it feels weird already. It has a stabilizer arc and an interchangeable tip so that it won’t have any danger of falling off when you’re moving. It also has long-range Bluetooth so you stay connected to your tethered device even when it’s three rooms away. Google claims that if outdoors, you will still remain connected even if your phone or tablet is a football field away.
Sound quality-wise, you get high-quality audio and even if it doesn’t have noise-canceling features, the eartips “gently seal the ear” so it is able to isolate outside noises. But it does let some level of environmental sound in so you’re still aware of what’s happening around you. It also has an Adaptive Sound feature that automatically adjusts the volume depending on your environment so you don’t need to keep manually adjusting the volume.
The Pixel Buds has two microphones in each earbud and a voice accelerometer so it lets you give clear phone calls. It detects the vibrations on your jawbone so even if it’s noisy around you, you can still be heard clearly. And of course, Google Assistant is now just a “Hey Google” away. You can do quick tasks like listen to a podcast, translate something you don’t understand, or send a quick text. You also get controls like tap to play or pause and swipe to adjust volume and it automatically detects when it’s in your ear so you can access these controls.
If you have a Pixel phone and devices running on Android 6.0 and above, you can just pair it with a single tap. Battery life should last you 5 hours of continuous listening and then you get up to 24 hours after you charge it in its wireless charging case. The new Google Pixel Buds will cost you $179 but it will be available by next year or Spring 2020 in the U.S. It will be available in four colors: Clearly White, Oh So Orange, Quiet Mint, and Almost Black.
