Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 Hands-On: A Big Upgrade video

Google has announced the new Pixel Buds Pro two, not only are they smaller, but Google says they perform better too and oh, they cost more. Let's discuss. Ok. So I got an early look at the Pixel Buds Pro two just ahead of Google's Pixel 9 August event where it also unveiled the pixel three watch to be clear. This isn't a full review. I was allowed to try the buds on and take some shots of them. But Google said I'd have to wait to demo the sound and noise canceling and other features until they sent me a review unit. So I'm just going to quickly go over their key specs and give you some early impressions. I'll get to the changes on the inside in a minute. The biggest difference between these buds and the original Buds Pro is their design. The originals fit my ears well, but they didn't quite work for a certain percentage of people. And Google has made them 27% smaller and 24% lighter, which you notice right away. They also have a built in fin which Google calls a twist to adjust stabilizer that helps lock the buzz in your ears and I was able to get a secure fit when I tried them on and they don't stick out of your ears much, which is nice. The buds come in four color options to match the new pixel eight models and have an IP 54 rating, which means they're splash proof and dust resistant. And their case is also splash proof. They have the same capacitive touch controls as the original pixel buds pro. So no changes there equipped with Bluetooth 5.4 they list for $230 or $30 more than their predecessor. That's been a trend in the earbuds space as various companies flagship buds like Samsung's new Galaxy three Pro have been going up in price by 20 to $50 as they move to the next generation. Google says the buzz have both better sound and noise canceling along with improved voice calling performance with better noise reduction during calls. Google's new tensor A one chip and updated algorithms are behind a lot of that. And while these have 11 millimeter drivers like the originals, Google says there's an upgraded acoustic architecture with a new high frequency chamber for smoother trouble. That's an important upgrade, visual audio with head tracking returns. But note that it only works with the pixel tablet and the latest pixel phones starting with the pixel six and not pixel A series phones. You've got three microphones in each ear bud with some mesh covering that helps cut down on wood noise. Again, I didn't get to hear the improved adaptive noise canceling yet. But Google says it cancels twice as much noise and a wider range of frequencies. I look forward to comparing it to the noise canceling from Bos Apple and Sony as you'd expect from earbuds in this price range, the pixel buds pro two have ear detection sensors which means your music will pause when you take a bud out of your ears and resume playback. When you put it back in, there's multipoint bluetooth pairing and automatic switching between android devices on your Google account. Also the buds support the new find my device network and have a little speaker on the bottom of their charging case next to the USB C port that emits a ring tone to help you find the case. If it's hiding somewhere. By the way, the charging case does have wireless charging and the rated battery life for these buds is quite good. Google says you can get up to 12 hours with noise canceling off at moderate volume levels and up to eight hours with noise canceling on the key feature worth mentioning is conversation detect which Google says uses A I to tell when you start speaking and pauses your music and switches the buzz to transparency mode so you can have a conversation, your music and the noise canceling kicks back on when you end your conversation, Sony was the first to have this feature. And Apple's airpods Pro two and Samsung's Galaxy Buds Pro two and three also have a variation of it like their predecessor. These have hands free Google Assistant, which you can access by just saying the assistant wake word. You know what it is. Google is also talking about how you can use the buds to access its new Gemini Live A I feature by saying let's talk after saying the wake word, but I'll wait for my full review to get into that feature, which may also be coming to other pixel buds. So those are the new Pixel Buzz Pro Two in a nutshell. It's a little disappointing that they cost $30 more. But as I said, we're seeing that price inflation with other recent flagship Earbuds like the Galaxy Buzz Three Pro and of course, Apple's Airpods Pro have been priced at 249 for a while. I do think Google has addressed the issues that some people had with the original buds Pros design. And if they do deliver on their promise of having better sound noise, canceling and voice calling performance, they have a chance to be top notch ear buds, particularly for pixel device users and android users in general. I'm David Ker for CNET. Thanks for watching and check back for my full review in the coming days.