Why I’m looking very forward to the Pixel Buds Pro 2

We’re about a month out from the arrival of Google’s latest earbuds, and I’m cautiously optimistic about them. The Pixel Buds Pro 2 look to be the sort of iterative device I tend to really enjoy. They aren’t out to reinvent the wheel or wildly change Google’s approach to earbuds. Instead, they are a refinement to what Google managed to create in the original Pixel Buds Pro, and that’s a very good thing.

You see, the originals were quite good. With rock-solid ANC, ultra-natural transparency mode, a small case, and tons of added features, the Pixel Buds Pro were some of my favorite earbuds ever made. My biggest issue with them was the fit. I could never find the sweet spot where the Pixel Buds Pro were snug, but still comfortable long-term in my ears.

But the Pixel Buds Pro 2 look to fix this critical issue, coming in a much smaller overall footprint and being tested quite rigorously to provide the best possible fit. While it’s possible this is simply marketing speak, I’m very excited to try these new, smaller, lighter earbuds out in the coming weeks. To hear Google talk about their process:

Pixel Buds Pro 2 are 24% lighter and 27% smaller than Pixel Buds Pro. After analyzing 45 million data points from ear scans and conducting real-life wear tests, we designed Pixel Buds Pro 2 to be the most comfortable and secure fitting earbuds. Thanks to the new twist-to-adjust stabilizer, your earbuds stay put while still offering maximum personalized comfort. And they come with four different sized eartips, so you’ll be able to find the perfect fit.

– The Keyword

Other notable changes

Google is also claiming some big improvements in the big areas: ANC and sound quality. Both of these improvements are coming thanks to the new Tensor A1 SoC inside the Pixel Buds Pro 2, and if they end up delivering on the promises Google has made, it’ll make for a set of earbuds that aren’t just comfortable, but sound pretty amazing, too.

To be fair, the Pixel Buds Pro sound great and provide stellar ANC, so if it is truly improved on the new version, I’ll be impressed. And if they’ve managed to do all of this while actually making the buds smaller, lighter, and far more comfortable as well, consider me sold.

But all of this needs testing, and that simply won’t happen until later next month. Of all the new Google hardware, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 are the last item to actually arrive, so we have some waiting still left to do. That being said, I’m wildly excited to see if these buds can deliver on what Google is claiming and finally give me a reason to drop the AirPods Pro I’ve had for years at this point.