Google Pixel Buds Pro review: Smart speakers in your ears
Continuing with our exploration of Google-branded products, we now have the flagship true wireless (TWS) earbuds from the company. The Google Pixel Buds Pro aims to take on the likes of Sony WF-1000XM4 and Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro which are the best under Rs. 20,000 in India currently. On paper, it doesn't seem equipped with all the tools it would need to dislodge the two from the top. But as we have seen with the Pixel phones, the software magic often tends to fill in for certain on-paper deficiencies. Speaking of software, or the companion app rather, it was highly undercooked at the launch of these earbuds, but a few updates have turned things around in a big way in recent times. Time to take a closer look at the Google Pixel Buds Pro and what it brings to the table in this segment.
Excellent build quality, unusual earbuds design, good in-ear fit
The earbuds have a peculiar design that's hard to describe in words; maybe bean-shaped would come close. However, the earbuds feel comfortable in the ears with a snug fit. Despite the buds being slightly on the larger side, they do not stick out of the ears much and stay in place during jogs and workouts. The pre-installed medium-sized silicone eartips provide a good seal and passive noise isolation. Three pairs of different-sized tips are bundled along in case medium doesn't fit you best. Do spend a few minutes choosing the right ones as it helps in achieving better noise reduction. The companion app can also assist you in choosing the right ones. The build quality of the product is excellent with a smooth matte finish and circular touch zones at the back of the buds. You only get the Charcoal black variant of the Pixel Buds Pro here in India. While the buds are black, the case has a white matte finish to offer a perfect contrast. The compact charging case feels premium thanks to the materials used and is fairly pocketable. The case has a charge indicator LED at the front, a Bluetooth pairing button back and a USB-C charging port at the bottom. The earbuds weigh a little over 6 grams each, while the charging case measures 50 grams.
Great Google Assistant integration, good companion app, poor codec support
Each earbud is fitted with an 11mm driver and three microphones. The Pixel Buds Pro supports just SBC and AAC codecs over Bluetooth 5.0. Despite being a flagship product from the tech giant, there is no support for high-end codecs like aptX HD, LDAC, or LHDC, which is a questionable decision. There is multi-point support though to connect these earphones with two devices simultaneously. The earbuds are touch-enabled and let you perform multiple tasks using single tap, double tap, and triple tap gestures. A slide gesture is used to increase or decrease the volume, which is a nice touch. You cannot completely overhaul the default mapping but the Pixel Buds app does offer you a certain degree of control over assigning functions to certain gestures. As for tweaking the audio output, the app offers you a handful of sound presets as well as a 5-band equalizer to create your custom profiles. One thing I like about the equalizer presentation here is that instead of a frequency number for each band, Google has named it for what they control. You get Upper treble, Treble, Mid, Bass and Low bass to play around with. This feature was missing at launch, and now opens up a new dimension if you do not like the default sound signature of the Buds Pro. Being a Google product, there is a great integration with Google Assistant. You can issue hands-free voice commands to make it do certain tasks or control compatible smart devices in the house; it is responsive. That's like a tiny Google Nest smart speaker in your ear. These earbuds have an IPX4 rating for sweat resistance and can be worn during workouts without a worry. The case also has an IPX2 rating for what it's worth. The buds have wear detection sensors to pause the audio when you remove one from the ear and resume when you put it back in.
Enjoyable audio quality, custom equalizer, average ANC for the segment
No issues with the wireless range with the buds maintaining a stable connection up to 10 meters with a clear line of sight. There were no latency issues either when streaming videos. The buds are sufficiently loud at 70-75% volume. The sound quality of the Google Pixel Buds Pro is pleasant and enjoyable but not in the same league as its competitors like the Sony WF-1000XM4 or even the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. These buds produce a V-shaped sound with boosted lows and high. There is nothing glaringly wrong about the output, but you expect more resolved detail in a product priced close to Rs. 20,000. Of course, there is a lot more detail in audio here as compared to certain midrange products with V-shaped output that sell for half its price, but we have higher expectations from this segment. Despite the boost, the bass is tight and the mids have a good presence too. While there is a bit of masking of the lower mids, the vocal clarity is pretty good here. The highs have ample sparkle without sounding sibilant. The soundstage is fairly broad and gives a good sense of space. If you aren't someone too keen on finer nuances of the audio, you will find the output quite enjoyable across various genres of music. And of course, you have the aforementioned 5-band equalizer to create your custom sound profile to make these buds sound even better. You get ANC and Transparency modes here, but they are average at best for the segment. The ANC cuts down on certain low frequency sounds like the hum of an AC or even certain traffic noises outdoors, but nowhere close to what Sony offers. As for Transparency mode, the ambient sounds feel natural, but the voices could have done with some amplification as you need to strain your ears to listen to the person talking to you, especially outdoors.
Decent call quality, good battery backup, wireless charging support
The call quality of the Pixel Buds Pro is decent, though not special. The person on call was clearly audible, and the person could comfortably grasp what I was saying, but again, a bit more sharpness in my voice would have made the calling experience a tad better. In noisy areas, the microphones do pick up some ambient noise but not enough to impact the conversation, which is good. The battery backup on the Buds Pro is quite impressive. Google claims battery backup figures of 7 hours for the buds and a total of 20 hours with the charging case with ANC on. And the estimates are on the money. During my testing, I got just under 7 hours from the buds at 70% loudness with ANC switched on all the time, and the case could recharge the buds fully almost two times, taking the total battery backup just a shade under the advertised 20 hours with ANC on, which is commendable. Without ANC, the company states that buds can go on for 11 hours on their own and over 30 hours with the case. That's quite something, and though I did not test that claim, there is a reason to believe it given the product's performance with ANC on. The battery status of each earbud as well as the charging case can be seen in the companion app. The case can be charged using a standard USB-C charger or a Qi-certified wireless charger. These buds support fast charging too, with just 5 minutes of charging providing you with an hour of play time with ANC on. Again an honest estimate, and more than handy when in a hurry.
An interesting and enjoyable product, but competition has better options
The Google Pixel Buds Pro is priced at Rs. 18,999 in India with a one year warranty. While we understand the premium pricing, Google could have chosen to be a bit more aggressive given the quality of competition in this segment. Having said that, it does offer something special and that's tight integration with Google Assistant and the ecosystem as a whole. Add to that a polished design, very good battery backup, useful companion app and an enjoyable sound output, and it ticks a lot of boxes. As for competition, we have already mentioned the two biggies. The Sony WF-1000XM4 rules this segment with excellent, detailed sound output and the best ANC under Rs. 20,000. The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro is a close second in terms of sound quality and ANC, and probably even better if you have a Samsung phone, as some of its premium features are reserved for phones from the company. iPhone users can either choose the Sony or stick to one of the Apple Airpods models. Choose one that suits you best.
