The Google Pixel Buds, the first true wireless earbuds to offer hands-free Google Assistant, have arrived to take on the Apple AirPods.
They’re priced competitively at $179 (about £140 / AU$270) and have a number of neat features but they face some steep competition from other cheaper models from Samsung, Sony, Jabra, and others. So are they the right earbuds for you? What’s their deal? Here’s everything you need to know about the Google Pixel Buds.
WHAT ARE THE GOOGLE PIXEL BUDS?
Google is a huge name in the world of smartphones and smart speakers, but the tech giant hasn’t exactly made waves in the realm of personal audio. The Google Pixel Buds look very dainty from the images we’ve seen already, with smooth, flat housings that sit flush against your ear.
According to Google, the design was based on scans of “thousands of ears”, and should deliver a “customizable, secure fit”. A small earfin – which Google calls a ‘stabilizer arc’ – should keep the buds snugly in your ears, while what look to be silicone eartips will hopefully come in a range of sizes to suit all ears. The brand hasn’t confirmed whether the earbuds come with an IPX rating.
GOOGLE PIXEL BUDS RELEASE DATE AND PRICE
The Google Pixel Buds dropped on Monday, April 27, 2020, and comes in four colors – Oh So Orange, Clearly White, Quite Mint, and Almost Black. The Google Pixel Buds cost $179 (for reference that works out at about £140 / AU$270) but we’re still waiting for official global pricing.
That means that (in the US at least), the Pixel Buds are more expensive than the Apple AirPods with the standard charging case. However, they’re still $20 cheaper than the AirPods with Apple’s Wireless Charging Case, though.
GOOGLE PIXEL BUDS BATTERY LIFE AND CONNECTIVITY
The battery life of the Google Pixel Buds is the same as the Apple AirPods: five hours with the buds alone, and “up to 24 hours” with the wireless charging case. Speaking of wireless charging, this is a feature that would have to come as part of a new Pixel phone, but we don’t think it’s likely that the upcoming Pixel 4a will support reverse wireless charging, as a cheaper version of the Pixel 4.
