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When choosing wireless earphones, many buyers go for popular options like Apple AirPods, Sony, or Samsung earbuds. However, after using the new Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 for over a month, I’ve found several reasons why I’d choose them over the competition every time.
1Support for Android’s Find My Device Out of the Box
One of the major benefits of the Pixel Buds Pro 2 is their seamless integration with Android’s Find My Device network. Right out of the box, you can track the location of your earbuds or play a sound from the case using the Find My Device app, which comes pre-installed on most Android devices.
Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 3 Prooffers a similar tracking feature, but they require the SmartThings app and rely solely on Samsung’s network, which is smaller than Android’s broader device network. While Sony’s earbuds also offer support for Find My Device, someusers have reported issueswith its functionality.
With the Pixel Buds Pro 2, you can also track all your devices, including other Android phones and tablets, within the same app.
2Clear Calling Makes a World of Difference
While Apple’s AirPods are often seen as the gold standard for call quality, I’ve found the Pixel Buds Pro 2 even better. These earbuds support Google’s Clear Calling feature, which not only reduces background noise on your end—so the person you’re speaking to hears you clearly—but also cancels the noise on their end, giving you a much clearer conversation experience.
This is something that is absent in most other earbuds on the market, and it’s something I’ve genuinely appreciated during my time with the Pixel Buds Pro 2. It does make a world of difference when you’re in loud environments with constant background noise, like busy cafes, trains, or gyms.
3AI Features That Elevate Everyday Use
It’s 2024, and AI has made its way into nearly every device—including Google’s Pixel Buds Pro 2. They are powered by Google’s first-ever Tensor chipset for earbuds, the Tensor A1. This chipset enables faster audio processing and enhanced ANC. With this chip, the earbuds also feature Google’s Gemini andGemini Live, allowing you to ask questions or get assistance on the go without removing your earbuds.
But these aren’t the AI features that set the Pixel Buds Pro 2 apart. What really makes the Pixel Buds Pro 2 stand out are the other AI-driven features like Conversation Detection. Using on-device AI, the earbuds can detect when you start speaking, automatically pausing playback and switching to Transparency mode so you may have a conversation without removing your earbuds.
The Clear Calling I mentioned above is also powered by the Tensor A1 chip. It’s these small, thoughtful AI features that I truly miss when switching to other earbuds. Google’s clever use of AI makes these earbuds unique—something that other brands simply can’t replicate.
4Pixel Buds Keep Getting Better With New Features
A major advantage of owning Pixel Buds is Google’s commitment to updates for the earbuds. Just as Google releases regular Android updates for Pixel smartphones and tablets, it also pushes new updates to Pixel Buds even months after launch. For instance, Gemini Live is a feature that debuted on the Pixel Buds Pro 2, but within a month, Google extended this feature to older Pixel Buds models as well.
Most other brands don’t offer this level of ongoing support—you typically get the features advertised at launch, with few, if any, updates afterward. Google’s regular updates make the Pixel Buds worth every penny, as they keep getting better even years after you’ve bought them.
5Less Expensive but Equally Impressive
What makes the Pixel Buds Pro 2 even more appealing is their pricing. Priced at $229 in the US, they come in below many high-end competitors. What makes them even better is that they’re frequently discounted, especially around the holiday season.
Even if you have to pay the full retail price, you’re getting premium sound quality, ANC, long battery life, and Google’s unique software features, all for less thanSamsung’s Galaxy Buds 3 Pro($249) andSony’s WF-1000XM5($299). For the quality, features, and Google’s added extras, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 offer great value for the price.
Google hasn’t traditionally been known for making thebest wireless earbuds, but with the Pixel Buds Pro 2, they’ve truly hit the mark. Though software features are what make the Pixel Buds Pro 2 stand out, they’re also packed with essentials like wireless charging, multipoint connection, and spatial audio. With this well-rounded set of features, I’m finding it hard to consider switching to any other earbuds anytime soon.
