Google launches Pixel Buds Pro 2 with improved design and Gemini integration

It’s been nearly two years now since Google launched its first wireless earbuds, the Pixel Buds Pro. While it’s been a wait, the Mountain View tech giant has finally launched the Pixel Buds Pro 2, complete with a new form factor and a few notable tech upgrades that could make it one of the best wireless earbuds around, especially for the new Pixel 9 series flagships.

What do the new Pixel Buds Pro 2 bring to the table?

If you own the original Pixel Buds Pro, you’ll notice that these new earbuds are smaller and lighter. They’ve also been designed to fit more securely, thanks to the included stabilizers.

Google also says that third-party tests have confirmed that the earbuds are twice as comfortable as models offered by competitors. This isn’t surprising, given that the overall shape of the earbuds was optimized based on 45 million data points from ear scans to ensure that the fit can cater to a wide range of users.

In terms of capabilities, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 sport the all-new Tensor A1 chipset — the first Tensor chip ever used in earbuds. They also have 11mm in-house acoustic drivers that help produce a more balanced audio signature and a five-band equalizer that’s perfect for fine-tuning your listening experience.

Something we’re especially excited about is the improved noise cancelation that these earbuds offer, thanks to the Tensor chipset, which adapts 3 million times per second to cancel twice as much noise and work on higher frequencies than the Pixel Buds Pro.

As far as battery life goes, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 can deliver up to eight hours of playback (and that’s with Active Noise Cancellation turned on). With the charging case, you can expect up to 30 hours of total listening time, and it also supports Qi-certified wireless charging.

The earbuds themselves are IP54 rated, while the case is IPX4 rated for water and dust resistance.

Built for the “Gemini era”

Gemini is the default assistant on Pixel 9 devices, so the Pixel Buds Pro 2 are designed to work seamlessly with this new AI-powered assistant. One feature that really stands out and is worth exploring if you purchase these earbuds is Gemini Live, which lets you choose from a range of natural-sounding voices and engage in free-flowing conversations that can have you interrupt or even ask clarifying questions like you would when having a conversation with another person.

With Conversation Detection, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 also uses AI to ascertain when you have started speaking in order to pause your music and switch to Transparency mode. Once your conversation ends, it resumes music automatically and switches back to ANC mode.

The Pixel Buds Pro 2 also supports audio switching between two devices and supports Pixel ecosystem features such as Clear Calling and Spatial Audio with head tracking. The earbuds case also has a ringtone speaker for Find My Device capabilities.

Pixel Buds Pro 2 pricing and availability

Like what you read and want to purchase these earbuds? You can pre-order them via Google’s website or online retailers. The Pixel Buds Pro 2 earbuds are priced at $229 in the United States, €249 in Europe, and £219 in the UK. They are available in four colorways, including Porcelain, Hazel, Wintergreen, and Peony, so choose the one that best matches your style.