Pixel Buds Pro 2 feature Gemini Live, Tensor A1 chip, and 2x ANC for $229

Alongside the Pixel 9 series and Watch 3, Google today announced the Pixel Buds Pro 2. They come two years after the original with a new design that should address some existing complaints.

The new Pixel Buds Pro 2 have what Google calls a “twist-to-adjust stabilizer.” It’s a stationary, arc-shaped piece of rubber. When exercising, you can twist to lock, while moving the other direction provides “all-day comfort.” You can tap and swipe on the capacitive touch surface like before. 

Google says the new shape, which is 27% smaller, was the result of 45 million data points from ear scans. Each bud weighs 4.7 g versus 6.2 g on the original for a 24% reduction. You get four eartip sizes.

The entire audio system is said to be developed in-house. Each earbud features an 11 mm driver and custom-designed Tensor A1 chip that processes audio 90x faster than the speed of sound.

In practical terms, Google credits the chipset and Silent Seal 2.0 for canceling twice as much noise than Pixel Buds Pro. It can also cancel a wider variety of noises, like traffic and conversations. There’s also Conversation Detection to turn off ANC when talking.

You once again get three microphones per bud, as well as an IR proximity sensor for automatic play/pause, with Pixel Clear Calling featuring upgraded algorithms to reduce noise in more settings. With ANC, you get 8 hours of battery life per bud, with the case providing 30 hours. 15 minutes in the case provides 3 hours of power.

The Tensor A1 makes possible “multipath processing” where there’s a dedicated signal path for music that bypasses the continuous ANC processing chain for “pure sound” to the drivers. 

There’s now support for Bluetooth 5.4 with LE Audio and Super Wideband. The earbuds have IP54 sweat and water resistance in a slight upgrade from IPX4 on the original, while the case is IPX4 (vs. IPX2). Other features include Multipoint with audio switch and spatial audio.

The Find My Device network allows you to find the location of each earbud or the case on a map, with the latter also featuring a speaker to ring them. 

The Pixel Buds Pro 2 features Gemini Live. To start, unlock your phone and say “Hey Google, let’s talk live.” You can turn off the screen after that.

They are available in Hazel (dark gray), Porcelain (beige), Peony (pink), and Wintergreen (light green). You can expect them in the following countries:

• North America: United States, Canada
• Asia Pacific: Japan, Australia, Taiwan, Singapore, India, Malaysia
• Europe: United Kingdom, Germany, France, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Ireland, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, Portugal, Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Slovenia, Estonia, Slovakia, Finland

You can pre-order today, but Pixel Buds Pro 2 won’t be available until Thursday, September 26.

• Google Store
• Amazon