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Google unveils Pixel Buds Pro 2: Here are the 3 features I'm most excited about
At this year's Made by Google event, the company announced the newest generation of Pixel devices, including smartwatches, smartphones, and earbuds. The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 are officially here, and they bring plenty of upgrades to their predecessors.
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The standout features are upgraded connectivity, increased battery life, improvements to noise cancellation, and some minor hardware upgrades. Let's break them down.
Hey Google, find my earbuds
The new Pixel Buds Pro 2 debut with a small speaker on the charging case, similar to the AirPods Pro 2. The first-generation Pixel Buds Pro allowed you to locate them via Find My Device, but only provided a rough location. Now, if you misplace your earbuds, instead of ripping your house apart looking for them, you can access Find My Device and toggle a feature to make the earbuds' case speaker chime.
Also: Pixel Buds Pro 2 vs. Pixel Buds Pro: Which Google earbuds are the best?
This feature isn't one that Google is touting as the new Pixel Buds' standout feature, but it's one of the most useful new features for me. When I misplace my AirPods but know they're at home, it's much easier to locate them by ringing them than using my phone as a compass.
Additionally, Google says the new Pixel Buds Pro 2 support Google's upgraded Find My Device network, offering more precise device location information. As earbuds and their charging cases get slimmer, they're much easier to misplace, so enhanced location features are a must-have.
Battery life for days
Of all the heavy hitters in the premium earbuds space -- Sony, Bose, Apple, and Samsung -- Google promises the most longevity in the battery life department. With noise cancellation off, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 promise 12 hours of playtime and 48 hours of listening time with the charging case.
Also: Every Google Pixel 9 model compared: Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 XL, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold
With noise-canceling on, Google says the Pixel Buds Pro 2 can deliver eight hours of playtime and 30 hours of playtime with the charging case. Google thus claims the Pixel Buds can provide 24 more hours of battery life than Sony, 30 more than Bose, 18 more than Apple, and 25 more than Samsung.
Google's competitors deliver impeccable noise-canceling properties, and strong noise-canceling eats away at battery life. Could it be that Google noise-canceling is weaker? I'll hold Google to its word when I test the Pixel Buds Pro 2, but those are staggering numbers if proven true.
Improvements to connectivity
The new Pixel Buds are equipped with Bluetooth 5.4, a massive jump from Bluetooth 5.0 in the first-generation Pixel Buds Pro. Bluetooth 5.0 is not archaic by any means, but version 5.4 is the latest iteration and offers enhancements to connection stability and device power consumption.
The Pixel Buds Pro 2 are now compatible with Bluetooth LE Audio, which also contributes to more power-efficient Bluetooth connections. LE Audio enhances audio quality, decreases audio latency, and promotes stable connections between the earbuds and a connected device, like a smartphone. Keep in mind that LE Audio is only compatible with certain Android-powered phones, like Samsung's Galaxy lineup and Google's Pixel family.