Google Pixel Buds Pro Review: Design
So let’s begin with the physical features, such as build quality and appearance. The buds and a few additional tips are included in the box. They arrive in a cute little case with two tips, one of which is already fitted. With the other tips, we didn’t actually need to use them because the default one was fine for us. The build quality is not an issue because the casing is fairly comparable to the ordinary Pixel Buds and is constructed of decent-grade plastic yet again. These are fairly small and will fit in your pocket with ease.
We appreciated the fact that the case also has a physical pairing button and that, fortunately, can link with two devices at once. The fact that many higher-quality TWS don’t offer this feature, makes these an exception. Even though the case is attractive and has a design like a pebble, it locks in well. The Buds Pro form differs somewhat from that of conventional Pixel Buds. These are larger and have an in-ear detection sensor, so when you take them out, they automatically recognise you have removed them and the music pauses. Also Read: Pixel 7 Pro Review: Why you should get the phone The construction quality is also excellent. These are essentially touch-capacitive buttons; in fact, you can control a whole bunch of features with them, which we’ll be talking about later. The Buds Pro are a little bit bigger, which makes them less comfortable when worn for longer durations. These are comfortable to wear for 40 to 45 minutes, after which we had to adjust them because they continued to apply pressure on our ears.
You may be aware that we always receive extra ear tips with our headphones, but Google has now developed a feature for the Pixel buds that allows you to determine which one suits you the best and offers the finest noise cancellation. Therefore, if you swipe down on the notification panel, click and hold on Bluetooth, and then see your Pixel Buds pro, you can verify the ear tip seal in the settings.
Naturally, you will put in your earbuds, and when you tap Start, a test song will begin to play. After the test, it will inform you whether you need to change your ear tips, or whether the fit is perfect and your noise cancellation will work great. ANC can be activated on your phone or by tapping and holding your the Buds Pro. The Transparency mode uses the microphone in your earbuds to take up all the various sounds around you so you can still hear them while wearing your headphones. This mode can also be used to relieve any pressure that has built in your ears, which is pretty darn cool.
Google Pixel Buds Pro Review: Performance
In this case, while describing the Bluetooth range, we would say that it is respectable but not exceptional. When you are in a room, everything works perfectly. When we moved to another room, everything worked again. But when we got to the balcony (2 rooms away), which is almost outside the range of the buds, everything stopped working. The Bluetooth range is therefore adequate, albeit currently among the finest we have observed. We watched some Netflix shows, as well as Big Boss on Voot and YouTube videos, all without experiencing any lag. But there was a minor lag when it came to games. The Pixel Buds Pro was put to use with a variety of phones, including the Pixel 7 Pro. Any Android phone can download the Pixel Buds software from the Google Play Store, but the Pixel phone already has it pre-installed. The user interface is quite straightforward; all you have to do is open it to learn how long each earbuds and case’s battery will last. You also get some basic touch controls, which we really liked because they let you play, pause, and do other simple things. However, one feature we really liked on these earbuds—and many premium TWS have—is that you can also control the volume with them. Therefore, we rarely had to use our smartphone when wearing these earbuds because you can simply boost and reduce the volume with just a swipe, and it works incredibly well. Also Read: Google Pixel 7 review: Is this an all-rounder phone? Additionally, the left bud can be customised. For example, you can set active noise cancellation or switch to transparency mode. You can personalise it in the app to assist you with your needs. In terms of audio, basic features in the app. It does have a volume equaliser, which marginally improved the equalisation. The Pixel Buds Pro have active noise cancellation (ANC), which is a new and significant feature compared to the normal models. The ANC is good, and we tried it extensively; it provides rather effective noise cancellation so that music listening is more immersive, but it does not totally shut out outside traffic or other extreme external noises. For calls, the microphone quality is once more excellent. The opposite side made no claims about their inability to hear us or similar. In that regard, it is decent and it does help to reduce background noise a little bit.
Okay, so connecting your Pixel Buds Pro to your phone, another phone, or even your laptop at the same time is surprisingly simple. You’ll get a pop-up message to pair them as soon as you open the lid, but the cool thing is that if you open the lid and turn them around, then click and hold on the back button for a few seconds until you see the front light flashing, you can actually connect them to another device. Simply ensure that multi-point is enabled in settings, and then you can connect your buds to several devices.
What if you misplace one of your Pixel Buds Pro? So, if you ever lose your device, here are two ways to locate it. The first method is to go into app settings and look for the ‘Find Device’ option if you have lost them anywhere close and they are still connected to your phone. If you tap on that, you’ll be given the option of ringing the left, right, or both buds. As you search for them, the volume steadily increases. But what if they aren’t connected to your phone anymore? Then the second way is to open the Google Find My Device app, select your Buds, and then view the precise time and location of their most recent connection to your phone. So that’s how your phone locates your Pixel Buds Pro.
Regarding the sound quality, we would describe it as wide and engulfing, which is excellent but could have been just a tiny bit better. These clearly increase the bass by default, even when the volume eq is turned off. And since the majority of you will undoubtedly enjoy that setting, we have to say the bass is excellent. Moving on to the vocals, these are also very well-produced and crystal-clear. Now coming to the treble tones, we thought that the default sound signature, given the price range, was a little underwhelming. Because of the EQ boosting, the higher tones now sound a little bit better and have the brilliance that was before lacking, but it also amplifies the bass, which is already on the high side. So, for some it maybe a catch-22 situation.
We are quite happy with these in terms of battery life. The Google Pixel Buds Pro boasts a 7-hour battery life when using ANC, which is an improvement over the typical 5-hour lifespan of any premium TWS. It can continue for almost 11 hours if you disable ANC.
Verdict
As a result, for everyday use—including when watching movies on smartphones—we had no problems. The case contains a wireless charging connector in addition to two USB charging ports. Besides good sound, the finest feature of the TWS is that you can easily adjust the volume with a swipe. We believe that every premium TWS should have this feature because it genuinely performed so well. It is excellent in terms of customization as well. In our honest view, the ANC is good but not among the finest. While claiming that the battery life is undoubtedly among the greatest in its category. The majority of you will actually appreciate that good bass vibe while listening to music. Additionally, even at this price point, two devices being connected is uncommon.
Google Pixel Buds Pro pros
Comfortable Long Battery life Good Sound Can adjust volume Allows customization Good bass
Google Pixel Buds Pro cons
lacking proper equalizer adjustments non-customization of ANC works only with Android devices
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