Google Pixel Buds Truly Wireless [Review]

The Google Pixel Buds 2020 Fully Wireless are a follow-up to the Google Pixel Buds 2017 Wireless, however they include a new truly wireless design. They’re very comfortable because to their sleek, lightweight design and shallow fit. They also have a quality look and feel, and Android users can effortlessly pair them by just opening the charging case near an Android device. Their sound profile is adaptable to a wide range of genres and content, but their sound customization choices are rather limited. They also don’t filter out a lot of background noise.

Style

The Google Pixel Buds 2020 are a pair of premium-looking, minimalist headphones. They’re small and elegant, with little in the way of showy branding or accessories. They’re now fully wireless headphones with an in-ear fit, unlike the first-generation Google Pixel Buds 2017 Wireless. The white variant, which has a mix of matte white and black on both the earphones and the casing, was the one we tried. They’re also available in black, orange, or green, with the same cover and black section of the earbud.

Comfort

The Google Pixel Buds 2020 are a comfy pair of headphones. They’re light and don’t put a lot of pressure on your ear canal. They also have a shallow fit, and the touch-sensitive control mechanism prevents them from going much deeper into your ears.

Controls

The controls on the Google Pixel Buds 2020 are adequate. Each earbud includes a touch-sensitive surface that allows you to control the headphones without having to insert them farther into your ear. They’re simple to use, and you can use either ear to issue commands, which is useful if your hands are occupied. One tap will pause and play media, two taps will advance the track, and three touches will rewind the track. Volume is increased or decreased by swiping forward or backward. The voice assistant on your phone is activated with a lengthy push. There’s a lot of feedback in the form of beeps for playback adjustments, but no audio signals for volume changes unless you hit the lowest or maximum increments.

Portability

The Google Pixel Buds 2 are extremely portable, as are most truly wireless in-ears. They should fit easily in your pocket, and their case is small enough to toss into a pouch or bag with ease.

Case

The case for the Google Pixel Buds 2 is incredible. With a distinctive rounded-off appearance, it looks and feels very premium, and it supports both Qi wireless charging and traditional cable charging through USB-C. Although there is an indication light on the outside, it only indicates when the case is charged. It’s a little inconvenient that you have to open the lid to see the inner indicator light that tells whether or not your earbuds are fully charged.

Build Quality

The Google Pixel Buds 2 seems to be well-made and long-lasting. They’re composed of thick, high-quality plastic with a matte texture that feels scratch-resistant. They believe they should be able to tolerate a few little drops or bumps without being harmed. We don’t test for water resistance because they’re certified IPX4.

Stability

In the ear, the Google Pixel Buds 2 are fairly stable. Even with violent head shakes, after you’ve achieved a proper seal with their offered assortment of ear tips, they shouldn’t loosen or fall out of your ears.

Noise Isolation

The noise isolation of the Google Pixel Buds 2020 is poor, and they passively block far less noise than most in-ear headphones. They block almost no low-frequency noises, such as the low rumbling of bus or airline engines, unlike the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live Truly Wireless, which contain an ANC technology. They also do a poor job of filtering out background noise and only a decent job of filtering out higher-frequency sounds such as fans or air conditioners.

Battery

Overall, the battery performance is subpar. They last over six and a half hours of continuous listening, which is longer than its promised five-hour runtime but still falls short of the Samsung Galaxy Buds+ Truly Wireless’s 13-hour-plus single charge runtime. It’s worth mentioning, though, that real-world battery consumption varies depending on usage habits. On the plus side, their charging case can contain up to five extra charges, which is fantastic. Google also claims that a ten-minute charge will provide two hours of playback, though we haven’t tested this.

Bluetooth

The Bluetooth connectivity on these in-ears is adequate. They don’t have NFC or multi-device pairing, which is inconvenient if you want to listen to music on your phone while still connected to your PC. While you may link them with any Bluetooth device as usual, when you open the case near a compatible Android smartphone, it identifies them automatically, making the connection a breeze. This is promoted as working with any device running Android 6.0 or newer, and while it worked with our Samsung Galaxy S10e, we can’t confirm whether it will work with other smartphones. On Android, they have high latency, but it’s even worse on PCs and mobile iOS devices, which may be rather annoying while streaming videos. However, it’s worth mentioning that apps and devices appear to compensate for this in different ways, so your real-world experience may differ.

Pros and Cons