Google’s Pixel Buds Pro are arriving in July for $199 with ANC, multipoint, and Silent Seal for a perfect fit
Among Google’s hardware products, thePixel Budshave flown somewhat under the radar. First released as a pair of headphones-on-a-string back in 2018, the product was upgraded to truly wireless back in 2020, but endemic connectivity issues prevented the $180 buds from being widely adopted. Google rectified the problem to some extent with the solid-and-affordablePixel Buds A-Seriesin the summer of 2021, but people wanting the best wireless earbuds from Google now have something to look forward to: the Pixel Buds Pro.
Announced atGoogle I/O 2022and arriving in late July for $199, the Pixel Buds Pro bring active noise cancelation to Google’s earbud lineup for the first time — superior to the competition with a “custom-built 6-core audio chip” dedicated to adapting to a user’s environment, shifting severity of the ANC using a technology musically referred to as “Silent Seal.” Google says everything, from the hardware to the drivers to the algorithms running the show, is internal. The buds revive the pressure sensor from the 2020 version that customizes the in-ear seal to prevent the underwater sensation found in earbuds that rely on passively blocking the ear canal.
While we haven’t seen them yet in person, the Buds Pro — both case and earbuds themselves — closely resemble their predecessors, with the main difference being the two venting ports on each one, along with a slightly elongated driver section. The case, which supports wireless charging, appears identical.
Like its other hardware products, the Pixel Buds Pro promise a set-it-and-forget it experience, so the equalization adjusts automatically depending on the earbuds' volume, and multipoint support endeavors to seamlessly transition between two connected devices, similar to Apple’s ecosystem-wide auto-switching.Google announced support for this feature back at CES, but it’s not clear if it will be backported to older Pixel Buds models.
The Pixel Buds Pro also introduce a proper transparency mode, something that was missing from all previous earbuds in the lineup, though the 2020 model offers a version of this called “Attention Alerts” that lower the volume when it hears emergency sirens, babies crying, and dogs barking. Like those other models, however, the Buds Pro come with hands-free Google Assistant, automatic Google Translate support, and an IPX4 water resistance rating. Google is also toutingspatial audio support as an upgrade for the Pixel Buds Prolater this year, something we know is being built into Android 13, so the timing makes sense.
Battery life comes in at seven hours with ANC enabled, and 11 hours without it — pretty impressive numbers that I’m excited to dive into when they arrive.
You’ll need to wait until July 21st, though, to pre-order the earbuds, and they arrive in stores a week later, on July 28th.Google’s Pixel 6agoes up for pre-order the same day and ships a week later, too. You’ll be able to find the Pixel Buds Pro in four colors: Coral, Lemongrass, Fog, and Charcoal.
The announcement comes alongsideteases for the Pixel 7, thePixel Watch, a yet-unnamedTensor-powered Android tablet coming in 2023, andGoogle’s first pair of ARglasses since Glass was announced a decade ago.
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