Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 review: a sensational sequel

Introduction

Even after multiple attempts, Google’s wireless earbuds haven’t become intertwined with Android to anywhere near the degree of Apple’s AirPods and the iPhone. Could the Pixel Buds Pro 2 be the pair to change that?

Two years on from the original Pixel Buds Pro, this sequel has concentrated on comfort – while also doubling up on noise cancelling ability, and using Google’s own-brand wireless chipset to maximise battery life. Find My Device support and more nuanced sound tuning could also help them give established audio brands a shock. After listening pretty much non-stop for an entire week, here’s what I think.

Design & build: winging it

The pocket friendly, pebble-like charging case might look familiar, but Google has given the Buds Pro 2 themselves a miniaturised makeover. Officially they’re 27% smaller than the first-gen pair, but to me these are some of the smallest bud-style earphones I’ve used lately. A more sculpted shape and a twist-to-fit wing tip is an evolution of the style Google used for the OG Pixel Buds back in 2020. It’s also an about-face from the Pixel Buds Pro, which Google reckoned didn’t need stabilisers.

As someone that had issues with those earphones staying secure, I’m very happy with how much better these new ones fit. After twisting them in, they stayed locked like limpets, even during exercise. The tips are a sturdy rubber, which holds firm without digging into your ears. The Buds didn’t quite sit flush to my ears, but I had no issues sleeping with them in, and could wear them pretty much all day with no discomfort.

These aren’t fitness focused buds, but an IP54 rating for the earbuds themselves is enough to shrug off sweat during workouts. The IPX4 case is pretty typical, too.

Style-wise Google hasn’t mixed things up too much, with the same sort of circular outer casing as the first-gen Buds Pro. The ‘G’ logo is as subtle as ever, and you can still pick between subdued and spangly colours: Hazel and Porcelain are better for staying incognito, while Wintergreen and Peony will turn more heads.

The entire front surface of each Bud is touch sensitive, for all the usual tap and swipe controls. They weren’t so sensitive that repositioning them in my ears accidentally skipped tracks or paused playback.

The pre-fitted medium silicone tips were a perfect match for my ears, but Google bundled a trio of other sizes: the usual small and large, plus a new extra small option that should mean 99% of buyers will get a good seal.

Features & battery: can you keep track?

It’s hardly a shock that the Pixel Buds Pro 2 integrate pretty much perfectly with Android. Fast Pair makes setup a breeze, saying “OK Google” wakes your phone’s assistant, and Gemini can read your notifications out loud if you let it. The new AI-powered helper still has a long way to go, though, as you can’t ask it to play Spotify playlists or add appointments to your calendar.

There’s also support for Google’s updated Find My Device network, but accessory support still feels like a work-in-progress. Setup failed for me at the first time of asking, and when I tried again the Buds insisted they belonged to a different owner, with seemingly no way to reset them or reclaim ownership. Hopefully this’ll be fixed in time for launch. I do like that there’s a speaker on the case to help you find it should it fall down the back of your sofa.

Google’s wind-busting algorithms did a great job with my voice calls, letting everyone on the other end of the line hear me clearly – even with an impressive amount of background noise.

I still think it’s a shame Google refuses to add higher quality Bluetooth codecs, meaning you’re stuck with either SBC or AAC. There is LE Audio support, at least, but not every device can take advantage of it. If you care about sound quality, rivals with aptX or LDAC Bluetooth might be a better choice.

For battery life, though, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 are pretty competitive. They lasted between seven and eight hours of ANC-on listening in my testing, which is close to Google’s estimates, and the case added nearly three full charges for a 28-30 hour total. That puts them on par or better than Apple, Sony, Bose and the other big-hitters at this price, thanks to a more efficient home-grown chipset. Both wired and wireless charging are on board, as you’d expect from any high-end earphones.

Interface: settings simplified

Got a Pixel phone? You’ll find most of the Buds Pro 2’s settings and features baked in already. Everyone else should definitely grab it from the Play Store: it has a bunch of useful toggles and tweaks, presented in Google’s familiar pared-back style.

The touch controls are basically take-it-or-leave-it options, with no way to customise what taps or swipes do. You can set a tap-and-hold to either toggle between ANC modes or wake your phone’s digital assistant, but that’s yer lot.

Hearing Wellness is a neat addition, showing how many decibels the Buds are pumping out in real time. It’ll flash up a warning if you’re exposing your ears to dangerous volumes, and tracks exposure over 24 hour and seven day periods. As I test earphones for a living I’m always careful to keep volume at a sensible level, but warning younger listeners early could help stave off hearing loss in the future.

I had no reason to disable in-ear detection, because it worked so well; it never triggered accidentally, even while running. Personally I didn’t need conversation detection, which turns transparency mode on automatically when you start chatting, because I always take my earphones out before talking to other people – but others will find it useful.

An eatip seal check, multipoint connectivity, auto sound switching between devices and over-the-air firmware updates also make the cut.

Equaliser options aren’t the most extensive, but are a big improvement from the first Pixel Buds Pro, which launched without any EQ at all. You get six presets here, which all have a noticeable impact on sound, and a five-band custom EQ for finer-grain control. There’s no way to save multiple settings, though.

Sound quality and noise cancelling: a fine balance

They might have the same size 11mm dynamic drivers as the previous generation, but the Pixel Buds Pro 2 also have new acoustic chambers that help smooth out higher frequencies. 

That doesn’t mean you get the same level of treble precision as the best wireless earbuds; the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 deliver greater definition on The Meters’ effortlessly cool Cissy Strut, but then you’d hope as much given they cost a whole lot more. The Clarity EQ preset makes up for this quite well, without stepping into sibilance or eating away at the lower end of the frequency range.

The low-end is generally well judged, with a decent amount of sub-bass without becoming all boomy in heavier electronic tracks. The bass notes on Macky Gee’s Destiny Part II were delightfully squelchy, with clear separation between the synth notes in the mid-range. The Pixel Buds Pro 2 comfortably rub shoulders with Sony, Sennheiser and the rest of the established audio brands at this price.

I was rather impressed with how wide the soundstage could be at times, and even more so because Google’s spatial audio tech isn’t doing any sort of upmixing on stereo content. There’s still the sense of closeness you get with all earphones, but I didn’t feel nearly as boxed in as with some rivals.

Google has definitely improved its noise cancelling algorithms for 2024, though I’m not entirely convinced the Pixel Buds Pro 2 are “twice as good” as the first-gen model. They do a good job of muting the low frequencies of public transport, and general background chatter in busy areas, but the higher pitched clacking of my office keyboard still managed to cut through my Spotify playlist at moderate volume. They’ll do just fine for commuting, but I put them in the middle of the pack rather than among the class leaders.

Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 verdict

The first Pro Pixel Buds played well enough with Google’s smartphones that they were an easy recommendation for Pixel owners, even if they weren’t a class leader in any one area. The sequel is so much more comfortable and secure-fitting that I have no hesitation recommending it to everyone, no matter what phone they have.

Battery life has received a small but welcome boost, Find My Device support is great (when it works) and sound quality isn’t to be sniffed at either. The Sony WF-1000XM5 and Bose Quiet comfort Ultra Earbuds remain my top picks for noise cancellation – and it can’t be a coincidence the Bose was reduced to a Google matching £219 in time for the Pixel Buds Pro 2’s launch. But in all other respects these are the true AirPods Pro rival Google needed.

Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 technical specifications

Drivers	11mm dynamic
ANC	Yes
Bluetooth version	Bluetooth 5.4
Codecs supported	SBC, AAC, LE Audio
Durability	IP54 (buds) IPX4 (case)
Battery life	8hrs / 30hrs (Buds/case, ANC on) / 12hrs / 48hrs (Buds/case, ANC off)
Dimensions	22.7×23.1x17mm, 4.7g (Buds, each) / 50x63x25mm, 55g (case)