During its annual developer conference, Google I / O, Google announced a new pair of true wireless headphones, the Pixel Buds Pro, which will be available for pre-order from July 21 and in stores on July 28. The new Buds Pro offers more features than last year’s Pixel Buds A-Series, but at $ 199, they are also twice the price. So is it worth the extra cost or do you have to stick to the $ 99 Pixel Buds A-Series entry level?
To help you answer this question, we’ve compared the features and specifications of the two models so you can find the right one for you. Note that while reviewing the Pixel Buds A-Series, we have not yet tested the Pixel Buds Pro. We hope to be able to get acquainted with the earphones before they are released this summer.
Pixel Buds Pro is available in more colors than Pixel Buds A-Series. Image: Google
Audio and voice
Apart from the price, the fact that the Pixel Buds Pro offers active noise reduction, while the Pixel Buds A-Series does not, is perhaps the most significant difference between the two sets of headphones. As a result, you can mute background noise with Buds Pro, a feature that can help you improve focus while working from home, or allow you to mute ambient noise while traveling to work. This may be a welcome change for some, given that we’ve found that the Pixel Buds A-Series doesn’t offer much in terms of passive sound insulation.
Pixel Buds Pro also has an additional transparency mode when you want to hear what’s going on around you or talk to someone, which is a feature that the Pixel Buds A-Series lacks. In addition, Google says that Pixel Buds Pro will support spatial audio tracking of the head later this year. The upcoming update will make listening to selected content more immersive, as the feature recreates a surround sound-like experience without the need for multiple speakers. There are also some audio features that both headphones share, such as Volume EQ, where the volume is automatically adjusted based on your environment.
On paper – and according to Google – Pixel Buds Pro should perform well in conversations. Google says your voice needs to be clear no matter where you are, thanks to noise-canceling background distractions such as traffic and features such as windbreaks. The Pixel Buds Pro also comes with three microphones in each handset. The Pixel Buds A-Series only offers dual-beam microphones in each, but we’ve found that they still perform well when talking, even in noisy environments.
Pixel Buds A-Series can also be connected to Android phones with Fast Pair. Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge
Connectivity
The multipoint Bluetooth connection is also a feature that only Pixel Buds Pro offers. This means that the headset can automatically switch between your last two connected devices, including laptops, TVs, tablets and phones with Android and iOS. However, no matter what you buy, they both share the Fast Pair feature, so you can easily pair your Bluetooth devices with supported Android products. For those unfamiliar, Fast Pair allows you to turn on the buttons near the device and pair them by simply tapping a notification that pops up. Although both headphones also work with iOS, they are best used with Android devices that can take advantage of their many features. This is partly because there is no Pixel Buds app for iOS, which allows Apple users to adjust settings such as EQ, no matter which pair you buy.
Battery
Battery life is another area where Pixel Buds Pro outperforms Google’s Pixel Buds A-Series – at least on paper. Google claims that the Pixel Buds Pro charges wirelessly through the included charging case and provides up to 11 hours of continuous listening with active noise cancellation disabled or 31 hours with the charging case. However, when the ANC is activated, you will still be able to get seven hours. In contrast, the included case for Pixel Buds A-Series does not have the ability to charge wirelessly and instead relies on USB-C. The latest headphones also offer only up to five hours of listening time and only up to 24 hours with the case.
Pixel Buds Pro offers IPX4 water and sweat resistance. Image: Google
Design and installation
No matter which one you buy, you will have a choice of three sizes of eartips – small, medium and large – that come in the box for a better fit. However, the paper Pixel Buds Pro seems to offer several more features to improve comfort. Google says it has added new sensors to measure and relieve pressure in your ear canal to increase comfort, a statement we’re yet to test. The pimples also sit deeper in your ear canal than the Pixel Buds A-Series.
In terms of weight and size, the Pixel Buds Pro is slightly heavier and weighs 6.2 grams compared to the Pixel Buds A-Series, which weighs 5.02 grams. The new headphones are also slightly larger (22.33 x 22.03 x 23.72 mm) compared to the Pixel Buds A-Series (20.7 x 29.3 x 17.5 mm).
If color matters to you, Pixel Buds Pro offers more variety, including black, blue, green, and red. In contrast, the Pixel Buds A-Series is only available in white or green. Although they look similar, the Pixel Buds Pro also seems to offer more microphone inputs from the outside. However, none of them offer forward / backward gestures to control the volume, which means you have to tap to do so, which is something we weren’t fans of while watching the A-Series .
In terms of endurance, the Pixel Buds Pro and Pixel Buds A-Series offer water and sweat resistance IPX4, which is useful if you train often. Both also allow hands-free Hey Google voice commands, so you can get directions, set reminders, or access music and messages without touching your phone with Google Assistant.
Google Pixel Buds Pro vs. Google Pixel Buds A-Series
Of course, this comparison is just an overview of some of the main differences between the two pairs of true wireless headphones. If you’re curious about the raw specifications and want to dig deeper, you can check out some of the finer details in the table below.
Composition Google Pixel Buds
Specification Pixel Buds Pro Pixel Buds A-Series Specification Pixel Buds Pro Pixel Buds A-Series Price $ 199 $ 99 Colors Black, blue, green or red White, green Active noise reduction Yes No Transparency mode Yes No Spatial audio with head tracking Later in 2022. Without battery Up to 11 hours of listening time, up to 7 hours with active noise reduction on, 31 hours with case without ANC Up to 5 hours of listening time or up to 2.5 hours of talk time with headphones only. Up to 24 hours listening time with charging case or up to 12 hours talking time Google Assistant support Yes Yes Bluetooth 5.0 Bluetooth 5.0 Multipoint connection Yes No Waterproof certification (earphones) IPX4 waterproof IPX4 waterproof Waterproof certification (charging case) IPX2 Waterproof No Microphones Three microphones in each handset Dual beam microphones in each handset Speakers Specially designed 11 mm dynamic speaker driver 12 mm dynamic driver with passive noise reduction Plug size 22.33 x 22.03 x 23.72 mm x 27.5 mm Box size x 27.5 mm x Box size 27.5 mm. 25 x 50 x 63.2 mm 63 x 47 x 25 mm Headphone weight 6.2 g 5.06 g Box weight 62.4 g with headphones 52.9 g with headphones Wireless charging Yes No Charging cable included Yes, USB-C Yes, USB-C to USB-A. ..
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