Google Pixel Buds Professional 2 Overview: AI for Your Ears

Google’s Pixel Buds Professional 2 just isn’t solely an enormous leap when it comes to design but additionally comes with a number of latest options. Design and options apart, these are additionally the primary commercially accessible earbuds particularly designed to allow you to summon and have a dialog with Google’s new Gemini Reside digital AI assistant. A few of these options, together with the power to talk to Gemini Reside, can be found on the older Buds Professional. Nonetheless, Google has put its first-ever audio chip, known as the Tensor A1, to make use of in different places. And the variations it brings are positive make the Buds Professional 2 a strong improve over the earlier mannequin.

Pixel Buds Professional 2 Design: Eggstatic

• Measurement – 22.74mm x 23.08mm x 17.03mm (Buds); 49.9mm x 63.3mm x 25.00mm (Case)
• Weight – 4.7 (Buds); 65.0g (Case)
• Water and mud resistance – IP54 (Buds); IPX4 (Case)
• Colors – Peony, Porcelain, Wintergreen and Hazel

The egg-shaped case seems the identical as earlier than. The feel of its polycarbonate shell nonetheless feels just like the floor of an egg and can also be equally good at selecting up colors from the varied surfaces you possibly can place it on. In a single occasion, it even picked up the blue color from my used denims once I positioned it within the small pocket. However there is not any want to fret, as a fast wipe with a tissue and a few water makes it look nearly as good as new.

Save for the added speaker cutout, it is onerous to inform the Buds Professional 2 case (proper) from the Buds Professional (left)

There’s one new addition on the skin, and you will see it on the backside of the case. Subsequent to the Sort-C charging port, you will see a second cavity which is for the speaker. This speaker produces a sound if you end up on the lookout for it by way of the Discover My Machine app. The sound is loud sufficient to be picked up in a big home or a quiet park, however not on metropolis streets (particularly in Mumbai).

The design of the Buds Professional 2 (proper) has modified for the higher

As for the earbuds, their new design is smaller and lighter than the earlier Buds Professional, which now feels excessively cumbersome and heavy. The smaller design doesn’t bulge out of my ear (which is helpful if I go to sleep carrying them), they usually match quite a bit higher as a result of they’ve a smaller footprint. I had no hassle carrying the Buds Professional 2 for hours on finish and nearly forgot I used to be carrying them at instances, which is not like the Buds Professional, which felt heavy and obtrusive.

The stabiliser (winglet) ensures that the Buds Professional 2 stays in your ears even when jogging

The brand new (twist-to-adjust) winglet or stabiliser provides good assist when operating or transferring round. However it’s a must to make certain to check out all of the silicone ear ideas, because the medium ones left me with a nasty ear ache on day one. It seems that I needed to change to the smaller ideas when utilizing Buds Professional 2. My common go-to match for earphones is medium ideas.

The Pixel Buds Professional 2 when inserted into the case the mistaken approach (high) and the appropriate approach (under).

One annoying element about their design is that it is onerous to inform whether or not you’ve gotten positioned them appropriately within the charging case. The odd design of the case additionally permits the buds to be positioned within the mistaken cavity. And after getting inserted them, you’ll rapidly realise they’ve been positioned incorrectly if you try to shut the case. I confronted this dilemma a number of instances and one way or the other wished the cavities that maintain the buds within the charging case had been designed higher.

Pixel Buds Professional 2 App and Specs: Function-packed!

• Processor – Google Tensor A1
• Driver – Customized 11 mm dynamic driver
• Companion App – Google Pixel Buds
• Gesture controls – Sure

The Pixel Buds companion app works nice on non-Pixel smartphones as effectively

The Pixel Buds app ensures that the important options of the Pixel Buds Professional 2 are additionally accessible on non-Pixel smartphones. The app mainly packages what is often accessible within the Bluetooth Settings of a Pixel smartphone right into a separate app for non-Pixel units and is pretty straightforward to make use of. Other than with the ability to modify the equaliser, Multipoint and Audio switching settings, the app can also be required for firmware updates on non-Pixel smartphones.

It is lastly simpler to drag the Buds Professional 2 out of the charging case as they’re a bit raised in comparison with the Buds Professional

I went by the app on a Pixel 9 Professional Fold (Overview) and a OnePlus 12 (Overview) and was not shocked to search out a number of options lacking. And not using a Pixel smartphone, customers will be unable to get pleasure from options like Spatial audio particularly and the identical goes for Head monitoring that can be utilized together with the previous.

Apart from these two, all different options are accessible on non-Pixel units by merely putting in the app. The identical, nevertheless, can’t be stated about utilizing the Pixel Buds Professional 2 with iOS-powered units, because it solely delivers the naked minimal (listening to music), so it is best averted until you actually must.

The Listening to Wellness function is a pleasant addition to the Pixel Buds app

It is good to see a Listening to Wellness part included within the app. It ensures that you don’t go deaf whereas turning up the quantity by alerting customers about the identical. The part within the app exhibits the Present degree (in dBs) and in addition gives an Publicity report of the final 24 hours or previous 7 days, which is sweet to have.

Just like the Buds Professional, the Buds Professional 2 additionally has contact and gesture controls, which labored completely throughout the assessment interval with none points. The buds additionally provide Lively in-ear stress aid, which can robotically modify the stress in your ears (when utilizing the ANC function) relying on whether or not you might be in an aeroplane or a bus. The Audio change function additionally works effectively, supplied you might be signed into the identical Google account on your whole Android units.

Pixel Buds Professional 2 Efficiency and Battery Life: Spectacular in additional methods than one

• ANC – Sure
• Bluetooth – v5.4
• Codec Assist – SBC, AAC
• Wi-fi Charging – Sure (Qi-certified)

The brand new Tensor A1 chip weighs in when utilizing lively noise cancellation (ANC). I discovered this to be very efficient in blocking undesirable sounds throughout my day-to-day utilization. I dwell proper subsequent to a important street in Mumbai, and issues can get fairly noisy. The ANC system for a pair of TWS earbuds could be very able to chopping off ambient sounds and in addition makes an attempt to chop off higher-frequency sounds, which is nice. Nonetheless, it can’t lower out voices. Total, the ANC system had improved drastically over the Pixel Buds Professional, which additionally produced a fantastic hissing sound when the ANC was turned on.

With the Pixel Buds Professional 2, Google claims to have focussed on delivering clear sound and it exhibits. There are some notable enhancements over the older Pixel Buds Professional, however the Buds Professional 2 nonetheless can’t produce sounds as detailed as Sony’s WF-1000XM5. These are priced increased, so it is type of justified. For many informal listeners, the audio sounds shiny, with an emphasis on the highs and a few punchy however well-controlled bass. Listening to Chris Cain’s Down On The Floor, it’s straightforward to inform the emphasis on the highs the place the vocals stood out with the mids whereas the bass, whereas current, doesn’t destroy it by taking on. This makes all of it sound very pleasurable, nearly like a dwell efficiency (on this case).

The balanced sound profile is an efficient begin, and you’ll tweak the audio to your liking by choosing the preset profiles (lots to select from) or going with a customized EQ setting within the app. The Transparency mode works superbly and feels completely pure, nearly making me overlook that I had the earbuds on.

Coming to voice high quality, the brand new Tensor A1 will sound completely and naturally clear to the caller, however this solely applies to quieter settings. In site visitors or noisy/windy settings, audio sounds a bit garbled within the sense that you’ll be audible to the caller, however some phrases might get chopped quick due to the heavy processing. What it might probably accomplish whereas doing all of that is suppressing background sound, and it does fairly effectively.

The Buds Professional 2 simply lasts a workday with ANC and with out the charging case.

Now that we’re in 2024, it is simple to conclude that Google was certainly testing the waters with its Buds Professional TWS when it got here to assistants and AI. The Buds Professional launched a number of Google Assistant options and added a number of extra through the years by way of its Pixel Drop updates. The Pixel Buds Professional 2 is meant to be a product that’s particularly designed for AI from the bottom up, identical to the Pixel 9 smartphones.

Similar to its predecessor, talking out “Hey, Google” will allow you to accomplish a barrage of options utilizing simply your voice. Add a Gemini Superior plan to the combo, and you’ll even ask for extra advanced queries like fetching unread emails in your Gmail inbox and even asking which emails you suppose you want to reply to.

And that is simply the tip of the iceberg, certainly! You’ll be able to lastly have a educated alternate or a enjoyable dialog (like talking to a good friend) with Gemini Reside, as within the film Her from 2013. It’s certainly each surprising and wonderful that we’ve got achieved this in simply over a decade of the film’s launch, and all it’s a must to say is, “Hey Google, let’s discuss”, with out even reaching for the cellphone in your pocket.

Gemini Reside works superbly for conversations… simply do not ask it to do one thing

Since I had detailed conversations with Gemini Reside utilizing each a Pixel 9 Professional Fold and a OnePlus 12, I can conclude that these conversations had been extra responsive on Google’s Pixel. And so, it does seem to be a Pixel smartphone (particularly a current one) is a greater match for these “smarter than regular” earbuds.

With no assist for increased bit-rate Bluetooth codecs (identical to the Apple AirPods Professional), the Pixel Buds Professional 2 simply delivers round two days of steady listening with the case. The Buds Professional 2 can go on for an entire workday (8-9 hours) of listening with ANC on or an entire day (12 hours) with ANC off. As for charging, Google claims that 5 minutes of charging will hold the buds operating for 1.5 hours. And sure, you possibly can at all times let the case trickle cost on a wi-fi charging pad.

Pixel Buds Professional 2: Verdict

Google has lastly managed to sculpt its Buds Professional 2 right into a refined and polished product that many people wished it to be. And now, it is lastly right here! Whereas some options are reserved for Pixel smartphone homeowners, it is now lastly simpler to suggest to non-Pixel customers, supplied you possibly can swallow its Rs. 22,900 price ticket.

For these not looking for any AI experiences from their earbuds, you might be certainly higher off going for a Sony (for higher codec assist and extra detailed sound) or Bose’s (for higher noise cancellation) choices at this worth level. However if you’re a Pixel smartphone proprietor, now’s the time to improve and shut the AI-happy ecosystem loop, as the brand new Buds Professional 2 comes with fewer compromises than ever earlier than.