Google has officially launched the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 with a slew of improvements, including significantly improved ANC and much improved comfort. The new earbuds are smaller and lighter than ever before, and they should stay in whether you’re working out or running for the subway. How small? They’re 27% smaller than before (a viable consideration for our best earbuds for smaller ears , perhaps?) and add a twist-to-adjust stabilizer to keep them in your clamshell earbuds.
The big news here is a new chip, the Tensor A1. It’s the first Tensor chip to power an earbud, and it contributes to the significantly improved Active Noise Cancellation that these earbuds deliver.
According to Google, the Tensor A1 eliminates up to twice as much noise as before, and also eliminates a much wider range of frequencies. In particular, it is much better at removing higher frequencies, which some ANC systems struggle to isolate and block.
Check out our coverage of how to watch the Google Pixel 9 launch event if you want to stay up to date on everything new from Google’s catalog. Also make sure you have our Made by Google live blog on your device, for our in-depth analysis as the products release.
Google Pixel Buds Pro 2: What’s new?
The new Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 build on the Google Pixel Buds Pro from July 2022 in a few ways. They get 11mm drivers and a new high-frequency chamber for “smooth highs,” but the most interesting change here is still the Tensor Chip. Google says the new Tensor A1 enables a new, dedicated, discrete audio signal to bypass the noise cancellation, delivering “pure, pure sound” to the drivers. That should mean significantly improved audio quality compared to the current Buds Pro.
There’s improved Clear Calling for phone calls, with voice enhancement that should mean clearer sound on the other end of the line; Google gives the example of talking to a friend on the subway and being able to hear them much more clearly, regardless of what brand of phone and earbuds they’re using. Google also says there will be more algorithm improvements coming later this year to reduce noise in more settings.
Another welcome improvement is the addition of Conversation Detection, which can tell when you’re talking and automatically switches to transparency mode; when you’re done chatting, it switches back to ANC mode. There’s also more accurate location tracking, easy switching between audio sources, and Bluetooth 5.4 for more stable connectivity.
According to Google, you can expect 12 hours with ANC off (48 with the case) and 8 hours / 30 with ANC on – making them competitive with our picks for the best noise-cancelling earbuds. There’s also fast charging, with around 5 minutes of charging delivering up to 1.5 hours of audio with ANC off.
There are four colors: Porcelain, Hazel, Wintergreen and Peony. However, not all four colors are available in all regions.
Pricing? We have it on good authority that it’s priced at £219 in the UK, and we’ll update this page soon when pricing for other regions is announced (although that would make it around $229 or AU$430, or thereabouts).