Google Pixel Buds Pro review – the AirPods Pro of the Android world

• The Google Pixel Buds Pro is the latest pair of TWS earbuds from the Android maker.
• It offers a compelling package with features like ANC, multipoint, audio switching and wireless charging.
• With the Pixel Buds Pro, Google seems to be finally ready to take on the AirPods Pro, but does it deliver? Read our Pixel Buds Pro review to find out.

The Android world has a wide range of good quality truly wireless earbuds to choose from – from Google to Samsung, Sony and others, good TWS earbuds are easy to come by. However, not many can boast to truly compete with the AirPods Pro when it comes to sound quality, ease of use and premium feel.

That has now changed with the arrival of the Google Pixel Buds Pro. Until now, Google catered to the affordable segment with the Pixel Buds A-Series, but those earbuds missed important features like active noise cancellation, Bluetooth multipoint support, audio switching, and wireless charging, among other things.

Adding all these features and then some has made the Pixel Buds Pro a well-rounded pair of TWS earbuds on paper. But does it deliver in real life? Let’s find out.

Google Pixel Buds Pro pricing and availability

The Google Pixel Buds Pro is priced at ₹19,990 in India and comes in white. It is available for purchase from Flipkart.

Google Pixel Buds Pro pros and cons

Pros

• Active noise cancellation
• Bluetooth multipoint support
• Three microphones per earbud for enhanced audio experience
• Excellent in-call audio quality
• Wireless charging

Cons

• Expensive
• Slightly heavy

Google Pixel Buds Pro design and comfort

The Google Pixel Buds Pro sports a familiar design – from afar, it would seem that Google has made some minor changes when compared to the Pixel Buds A-Series.


The case is egg-shaped with a matte finish – the shape makes it really easy to slip it in and out of the pocket, and coupled with the matte finish, it feels good to hold as well.


It has a Type-C charging port on the bottom and an LED indicator right below the lid.


The lid itself feels very solid while opening and closing the case, with the earbuds fitting in snugly. No random movement or noises here.


Once you take the earbuds out, the changes in design are more apparent – the earbuds are bigger and slightly heavy compared to the A-Series. Google has also removed the wing tips which were present in the A-Series. The wing tips helped the A-Series buds stay locked in place, but the Pro fit very snugly in my experience, so I don’t mind removing the wing tips.

Like my nephews said, these look like mentos in a different colour. It’s true, and I like it.

Google Pixel Buds Pro audio and sound quality

One of the selling points of the new Pixel Buds Pro over its more affordable siblings is ANC. And it works very well, and unlike other earbuds with ANC, the Pixel Buds Pro solves the issue of a pressure canal that often happens due to ANC.

One downside is that ANC might not feel as strong as some other earbuds, but it reduces discomfort over longer usage.

On the whole, though, ANC was adequate to weed out white noise – especially other people talking in the background, or the noise of the ceiling fan, for instance.

In terms of audio quality, the Pixel Buds Pro delivers strong bass and solid low-end performance – something in which the Buds A-Series was weak. Bass and treble can be further pumped up with the ‘Volume EQ’ option in the Pixel Buds app.

I tried playing different genres of music – from pop and folk rock to acoustic and a bit of funk – including Counting Stars by OneRepublic and Let Her Go by Passenger, with some Guns N’ Roses thrown into the mix.

Except in some instances where the bass slightly overpowers the midrange and muffles some vocals, the Pixel Buds Pro performs very well. Google hasn’t yet enabled the full range of EQ customisation, but the company says it’s coming in a future update. This should give users more control over their music experience, but until then, the ‘Volume EQ’ option will make do.

Google Pixel Buds Pro connectivity and call quality

The Pixel Buds Pro supports Bluetooth 5.0, Fast Pair and multipoint. In simpler words, the buds connect quickly – they could be quicker, though, compared to the much more affordable OnePlus TWS earbuds, which connect within a couple of seconds.


Thanks to the triple microphones and Google’s custom 6-core audio chip, in-call audio quality is excellent, with the person on the other end of the call reporting clear voice even in noisy environments. Of course, given the nature of TWS earbuds, it doesn’t block other noise completely, but in my experience, people on the other end always said they could hear me clearly even in traffic jams.

Like its predecessors, the Pixel Buds Pro supports hands-free Google Assistant – and it’s one of my favourite features out of everything that these earbuds can do. It also works very well, allowing you to make calls or read out notifications. This is especially useful while driving since you can stay focused on the road and let Google do the work for you.

Google Pixel Buds Pro battery life and charging

The Pixel Buds Pro is rated to last 20 hours on a single charge – the earbuds themselves have 7 hours of juice with ANC enabled, while the case adds another 13 hours.

With ANC disabled, you can get 11 hours of battery life, which can be useful if you are out and about and want to save as much battery as possible.

In real life, with many calls and a bit of music, the Pixel Buds Pro lasted me an entire week on a single charge. The mileage will vary depending on your usage.

It takes a little over an hour to charge the earbuds from 0-100% with wired charging. Wireless charging takes a full four hours.

Verdict

Google has nailed it with the Pixel Buds Pro – from design to comfort to performance and battery life, these TWS earbuds tick every box. ANC makes life easy, and hands-free Google Assistant support is my favourite bit about Google’s earbuds.

All these features make for a compelling package, but for that, you have to pay a slight premium and there are better options like the Sony WF-1000XM4 if you compare the overall package.

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