The Google Pixel Buds 2 are Google’s second crack at the wireless earbud market. You might recall that the original Google Pixel Buds were more dud than award-winning bud. The not-so-wireless earbuds were plagued with a lot of flaws and received a thumbs down from most reviewers.
So did they get it right this time? Well, yes and no…depending on what you’re looking for and whose review you watch.
This is one of those products where the consensus across the board was no consensus. Some loved it, some though they were “meh” and one was a hard pass. And almost all of them made comparisons to the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus and Apple AirPods.
Before we take a closer look at what the experts are saying, let’s cover off pricing and specs.
Pricing & Specs
The Google Pixel Buds 2 are available in the US for $179. These truly wireless buds are built around two 12 mm dynamic speakers and Bluetooth 5.0.
The buds come in three different color schemes (although the case only comes in white): Clearly White, Oh So Orange, Quite Mint and Almost Black.
The buds weigh in at 5.8 grams per bud (not including ear tip and stabilizer arc). The case is 56.1 grams without buds inside and 66.7 grams with the buds. The case is also quite compact, measuring in at 2.48” x 1.85” x .98”.
This year’s buds also come with an IPX4 rating for sweat and dust. This means they can resist limited exposure to water droplets (rain, sweat etc.) and dust particles.
Easy Set Up
Google made pairing these buds to a Pixel phone or other Android 6.0 or newer devices super easy. Just flip the lid and click on the notification that pops, as MrMobile demonstrates below.
MrMobile on Pairing the Pixel Buds 2
To pair the buds to additional devices, or non-Android phones, you’ll need to use the bluetooth pairing button located at the back of the case.
To finish set up, Google requires you to download the Google Buds Pixel 2 app. See a walk-through of the app below from Jimmy is Promo.
Jimmy is Promo on the Pixel Buds 2 App
A Winning Design
The one thing that most reviewers agreed on is that the Pixel Buds 2 and the included case are really well designed. The compact case is “pocket friendly” and sports a matte-finish that received high marks across the board.
Google also made great use of magnets in the case design. As Tim Schofield points out, the magnets in the lid give it a satisfying sound when closing.
Tim Schofield on Magnets in the Case
And the magnets that hold the buds in place while they’re charging ensure they won’t accidentally be shaken loose or lost, which is a big advantage over the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus case as Jimmy is Promo demonstrates.
Jimmy is Promo on the Shake Test
But the pièce de résistance in the design are the low profile buds themselves. Unlike the Apple Airpods, these buds don’t have a tail that protrudes below the ear. And, although everyone pointed out that they look a bit like a mentos in the ear, almost everyone agreed they were comfortable and easy to wear throughout the day. Watch Marques Brownlee take a closer look at the design in the clip below.
Marques Brownlee on the Design
Touch Controls, A Virtual Assistant & Translation
Another thing that Google seems to have nailed here are the touch controls. Users can use simple tap or swipe gestures to control volume, answer calls, move through audio tracks and more. And, as an extra benefit, the controls work on either bud, making them easy to use left or right handed, or while wearing a single bud.
See Jimmy is Promo walk through how the tap and swipe gestures work.
Jimmy is Promo on Swipe Gestures
As you’d expect, Google has integrated its virtual assistant. A “Hey Google” command or a long touch brings the Google assistant to attention. Marques Brownlee, along with several other reviewers, thought the integration was a major selling point for the buds.
Marques Brownlee on Google Assistant Integration
The built-in Google Translate feature also seems very appealing, although we wished the reviewers we rounded up had done a more thorough test of the feature.
Great, Good, Sub-Part Audio?
This is where things start to get murky, and the primary takeaway on audio quality is that it really depends on how you define “quality” audio.
Almost everyone agreed that the bass on the buds is light, especially when compared to the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus. But several reviewers thought that the overall balance and quality of the audio made up for any loss of punchiness on the low end. Here’s Marques Brownlee with his take on the argument.
Marques Brownlee on Audio Quality
Unfortunately, Google did not include any EQ settings adjustments in the buds app, so users are stuck with the pre-set sound profile.
But there is another audio feature we need to touch on, and that’s call quality. Most everyone reported that the audio on phone calls was superb. Here’s MrMobile walking us through it.
MrMobile on Call Quality
Active Noise Cancelling vs. Passive Noise Reduction
At the $179 price point, some reviewers were disappointed that the Google Pixel Buds 2 do not come with Active Noise Cancelling technology, like the Apple AirPod Pros do.
What they do come with is something called Passive Noise Reduction, which is basically just a firm ear seal that helps block out some of the ambient noise, as Marques Brownlee describes below.
Marques Brownlee on Passive Noise Reduction
Battery Life & Quick Charge
Battery life is definity a downside of the Google Pixel Buds 2. On a full charge, Google reports that the buds get about 5 hours of listening time. Some reviewers reported a bit more, depending on usage levels.
That’s in line with the battery life of the AirPods, but lags way behind the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus which gets more than 11 hours on a single charge. That means these are probably not ideal for extended use, like an international flight.
The upside here is that the case packs an additional 19 hours of charge time. It also has a quick charge feature that adds two hours of charge time for every ten minutes in the case. The buds also support wireless charging.
Worth the Buy?
So, all this brings us to the question of value for price. Are the Google Pixel Buds 2 worth the $179 price tag.
Some, like MrMobile, say yes. The point of view here is that Google nailed the fundamentals across the board and, even though these buds don’t have active noise canceling, the design features, gesture controls, great Bluetooth connectivity and Google Assistant integration make them a great daily driver.
MrMobile on Value
Others, like Flossy Carter and Pocketnow are a little less enthusiastic, but still more or less positive about the experience. Flossy Carter gives the buds high marks on a variety of features, including audio quality, but still picks the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus over the Google Pixel Buds 2.
And Pocketnow wraps up his video by stating “if you are an Android user in particular and you want a good way to get started in true wireless audio, the Pixel Buds hit a good fundamental happy medium.”
See each of the expert reviews below: