Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 review: tiny earphones that are drowned out by the competition

Google Pixel Buds Pro 2: One-minute review

As a long-time user of Google’s incredible first generation Pixel Buds Pro earbuds, I was very excited to stuff the Pixel Buds Pro 2 earbuds into my ears. Having received them at the same time as Samsung’s also brilliant Galaxy Buds 3 Pros has, however, muted my opinion of the smaller Google earphones.

Google has gone back to the drawing board for the aesthetic of the Pixel Buds Pro 2, with a much smaller design while retaining the egg-shaped case. This new design sits more firmly in the user’s ear with the same brilliant touch controls on the sides, though a new ‘twist-to-adjust stabilizer’, taking the form of a physical plastic fin, may lead to some discomfort in your ears (in fairness with this criticism, a colleague of mine also using the headphones said he didn’t mind). 

Battery life is better than ever with the second generation, boasting up to eight hours with noise cancellation on or 12 with it off (30 and 48 hours respectively with case recharging factored in).

Noise cancellation has been improved with a redesigned seal and the transparency mode is just as effective as with the previous model. I’ve certainly noticed a difference between the new noise cancellation and Google’s old noise cancellation in the previous generation when walking beside a busy road, though ultimately I don't expect all sounds to be blocked out entirely. In fact, with the earbuds placed in some positions at different adjustments, you may notice an odd windy or whistling sound. Adjust your buds the best you can to mitigate this odd noise, but ultimately it makes quick ease-of-use a step more difficult.

Though perhaps the most unfortunate thing about the Pixel Buds Pro 2 earbuds is that they’re priced far too confidently. At $229/£219/AU$379, the buds fall within range of the better Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pros, at $249/£219/AU$399. Were you shopping at these price points, I would usher you in the direction of Samsung’s new Pro earbuds.

Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 review: Price and release date

• Unveiled on August 14
• Priced at $229/£219/AU$379
• Price increase over the Google Pixel Buds Pro ($199/£179/$AU299)

We can immediately applaud Google for the bold colorways it’s offering the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 in, which are far more interesting than the finishes you'll find when shopping for either the Samsung Galaxy Buds or Apple AirPods.

The standard black (Hazel) and white (Porcelain) are here, but also a gorgeous candy pink called Peony is available, along with a brilliant mint green called Wintergreen. 

While I won’t admonish anyone for shopping based on color (I have friends who tend to buy a lot of pink tech) I would encourage you to think of the better quality on offer with similarly priced headphones, and to maybe consider the original Pixel Buds Pro if you want a splash of color without spending too much.

Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 review: Specs

Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 review: Features

• Exceptional battery life
• Strong noise cancellation and transparency modes
• Twist-to-adjust stabilizers may feel awkward in-ear

The feature set on offer with the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 puts it in direct competition with any other Pro earbuds on the market, but you may find some things are a bit off. 

These earbuds are more good than bad, so let’s start with the good stuff. The battery life is not only brilliant, but it also bests the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pros ever so slightly (8 hours versus 7 hours for the Samsung pair). The original Pixel Buds Pro earbuds had great battery life, so it’s great to see Google keep it up.

Noise cancellation has seen a noticeable improvement with the introduction of what Google calls ‘SilentSeal 2.0’. I tend to walk beside a lot of busy roads in Sydney quite often, and switching between the previous generation and current generation Pixel Buds Pro earbuds, I can certainly hear the difference when a bus rolls past. The Pro 2s are able to block out much more noise, not that the first-generation buds did a bad job. If the transparency mode received any upgrades, for which I can’t find any evidence, it’s not noticeable between the earbuds.

A major point of conflict I have for the earbuds is the in-ear comfort, and truth be told I can’t make heads or tails of it. Google has not just subtly redesigned how the earbuds sit in your ear, but has also introduced a new feature called ‘twist-to-adjust’. We’ll talk about this in greater depth in the design section below, but it’s essentially a plastic fin that sits neatly within your ear for greater support. Twist the earbud up and the bud will sit more strongly in your ear, making it ideal for physical exercise.

This is a great feature and I’ve certainly been using it regularly when going for walks (though it is more intended for cyclists and runners). One of my major problems with the original Pixel Buds Pro earbuds was that they can fall out of your ear all too easily, so it’s nice to see an improvement made on this front.

Finally, the buds also come with Google Gemini support for hands-free use, activated with the simple saying of ‘hey Google’ (or have a free-flowing conversation with the assistant by saying ‘hey Google, let’s talk live’). It’s neat for if you want a quick action performed without using your hands, but it might make you look a bit strange on the train. I didn’t use this feature much as I’m still yet to find a use for a large language model AI assistant. 

• Features score: 4/5

Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 review: Design

• Much smaller design than original generation
• Difficult to make comfortable in your ears
• Egg-shaped case returns with Google Find My Device

The main drawcard of the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 earbuds is that they’re smaller than the first generation buds – and it’s quite a noticeable size down. Where in the past a much less careful grip could have firmly inserted, removed, or adjusted the buds in your ears, a deliberate pinch is now required to tweak the buds in and out. The great haptic buttons on the sides of the buds are the same, though obviously with the smaller form factor it may be more difficult for those with larger hands to make adjustments.

As you may have assumed, this smaller size is both a blessing and a boon. They look much more premium and unique, sure, but the smaller fit forces the user to make their interactions with the buds much more deliberate to make any adjustments. I for one prefer the size and shape of the original Pixel Buds Pro earbuds.

The more egregious matter at hand with the design changes comes down to comfort. I just can’t get consistently comfortable with these earbuds. I feel like I’m constantly adjusting them, as I move from the office, to the train, to my home, to walking through the street. The twist-to-adjust stabilizer fins and the surrounding plastic add quite a bit of discomfort to the experience that didn’t exist with the previous generation or the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pros, for which I’m constantly tweaking the earbuds in an attempt to counteract. This leads to complications with the sound quality, which I’ll touch on below.

Finally, the cute egg-shaped design for the charging case has returned with a subtle improvement – support for Google Find My Device. This includes an integrated speaker that plays a chime when you enter pairing mode or a persistent noise when you’re using the Find My Device app. It’s a great addition if you’re the type to constantly lose your earbuds.

• Design score: 3/5

Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 review: Sound quality

• Great sound, if a bit wooly and quiet
• Decent equalizer customization
• Complications with comfort can bleed into sound issues

I can’t fault the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 earphones on sound all too much, though when constantly switching between these earbuds and the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pros, you’ll quickly learn that there’s better sound depth with Samsung’s alternative, despite smaller audio drivers on paper.

That’s not to say the sound produced by the Pixel Buds Pro 2 earbuds is bad – it’s just flatter and more wooly. This can be mitigated significantly by using the Pixel Buds app to adjust the equalizer. There are quite a few presets to choose from and the ability to set and save your own custom levels.

The only real problem I had with sound stemmed from the trouble I had with the design. When constantly adjusting these buds, pulling them in and out of my ears and tweaking them around, the buds would start to produce an awkward whistling or windy noise. 

This would be much more pronounced when outside and blocking out an abundance of noise with ANC on or absorbing said noise with transparency enabled. I could hear the seal coming unstuck with each step and the flow of wind past my ear being dulled.

With the smaller design, it’s obvious that you need to find the ‘Goldilocks’ zone in your ears for the buds to sit, lest you succumb to sound issues like me.

• Sound quality score: 4/5

Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 review: Value

• Much more expensive than the first-gen Pros
• Difficult to compete with the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro

The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 earbuds are priced to directly compete with the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pros, and that’s a problem because the Galaxy Buds 3 Pros are better in every way. This is a problem that is becoming more pronounced across the Pixel product range as Google is starting to price its tech at more premium price points.

The sounds produced by the Pixel Buds Pro 2 are a bit flatter and quieter, and the noise cancellation is a bit less impressive when compared to Samsung’s top-end option. With Samsung’s shift to a stem design, the buds also sit more confidently in the user’s ear, and because the buds are naturally larger, it’s easier for more clumsy fingers to make playback adjustments.

It’s not a night-and-day difference between these buds, but it is noticeable. 

• Value score: 2/5

Should I buy the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2?

Buy them if...

Don't buy them if...

Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 review: Also consider

How I tested the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2

From the moment I received the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 earbuds, I got to work reviewing them. I’ve been using the buds for about two weeks, switching between them and the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pros as I’ve gone along.

In my testing, I used Spotify as my music app, switching both pairs of earbuds between the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 and the Google Pixel Pro Fold 9. Both pairs of earbuds were tested in the same environments, including walks beside busy roads, in-office use, home use, walks through the park and when sleeping.

Noise cancellation was used a lot with the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2. In terms of EQ, I mostly used the default option, though I did enable the heavy bass option now and again.

To justify the direct comparisons in this review, I found myself constantly listening to the same songs and albums back to back between the Pixel Buds Pro 2 and the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. 

• First reviewed in September 2024