The AirPods Pro 2 has finally launched as a replacement for the three years old AirPods Pro, but how does Apple’s new pair of earbuds measure up against Google’s Pixel Buds Pro? The new Apple earbuds have got several rivals in the premium earbuds segment. Apart from the Pixel Buds Pro, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro from Samsung, the Sony WF-1000XM4, Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 and LG’s Tone Free T90. These earbuds, alongside Apple’s AirPods 2 Pro, have similar features such as active noise cancelation, transparency mode and wireless charging.
The AirPods Pro 2 made its debut at Apple’s Far Out event. Besides the new AirPods, the Cupertino-based company also announced the iPhone 14 series, Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch Ultra and Apple Watch SE 2nd generation. All four items are already available for pre-order from Apple’s online store and partner stores. They are expected to begin shipping to buyers this month.
Apple has kept the design of the previous generation AirPods Pro despite an initial report that said the new pair of earbuds would drop the stems in favor of a design similar to that of the Beats Studio Buds. Each earbud weighs 5.3 grams and has an IPX4 sweat and water resistance rating, just like the charging case. In contrast, the Pixel Buds Pro has a stemless but in-ear design and is heavier at 6.2 grams per earbud. In addition, while Google’s earbuds have an IPX4 rating, the case has a lower IPX2 rating. Apple has added a U1 chip, the same in an AirTag, to the case of the AirPods Pro 2 for precision tracking. The case also has a speaker that plays a sound when paired to a device and also when a user is looking for it with the Find My app. Apple’s AirPods 2 Pro is available in White, while Google sells the Pixel Buds Pro in Charcoal, Coral, Fog and Lemongrass.
ANC, Spatial Audio, Battery Life
Both Apple and Google use custom-made dynamic audio drivers for their earbuds. In addition, they have replaceable ear tips and touch controls for controlling playback, calls and volume. Another feature common to both earbuds is Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode. While a real-world comparison will determine which pair of earbuds is better in these aspects, Apple says the AirPods Pro 2’s H2 chip improves active noise cancelation by 100 percent compared to the previous generation. The chip is also responsible for the new Adaptive Transparency feature, which eliminates unwanted sounds such as sirens and construction tools when in transparency mode. Apple also says it has improved Spatial Audio, and users can now create a personalized profile explicitly tuned for them. There is also Adaptive EQ which measures what the user is listening to and auto-adjusts the frequencies.
Google’s Pixel Buds Pro also has a custom processor that works with custom algorithms for ANC. While it doesn’t have the AirPods Pro 2’s Adaptive EQ, OTA updates will bring a five-band EQ (and Spatial Audio) to the earbuds in the future. What it does have is Volume EQ which adjusts the tuning of what a user is listening to when they adjust the volume. Apple’s new pro earbuds have Bluetooth 5.3 and seamlessly connect to Apple devices. Audio Switching between connected Apple devices and always-on “Hey Siri.” Apple has also added some accessibility features such as “Conversation Boost,” which focuses on voices directly in front of the user, and the ability for Siri to read aloud messages. The Pixel Buds Pro has Bluetooth 5.0, a tad disappointing for earbuds released in 2022. There is Fast Pair for easy pairing with Android devices. The Pixel Buds Pro also supports Bluetooth Multipoint (connect to two devices simultaneously), while Audio Switch allows the earbuds to switch seamlessly between Fast Paired devices. Google’s Pixel Buds Pro has hands-free “Hey Google” and will provide users with walking directions, translations and even reply to texts without the user lifting a finger. Google claims the Pixel Buds Pro will provide seven hours of playback time with ANC turned on and 20 hours with the case. However, the battery life increases to 11 hours (a total of 31 hours with the case) without active noise cancelation. On the other hand, the AirPods Pro 2 lasts up to six hours with ANC, which goes up to 30 hours with the case. With ANC deactivated, users should expect even longer battery life. There is support for Qi wireless charging on both earbuds. There is also support for wired charging, although the AirPods Pro’s case has a Lightning port while the Pixel Buds Pro has a USB-C port.
The new features and upgrades for the AirPods Pro justify the long wait time, and with the same $249 selling price as its predecessor, what’s not to like? However, like previous AirPods, the AirPods Pro 2 works best with Apple devices. Unfortunately, there is no non-Apple device on its compatibility list. So even though it bests the Pixel Buds Pro in some areas, non-Apple users will not get the best experience. On the other hand, the Pixel Buds Pro, which is cheaper at $199, is compatible with Android and iOS devices. Although, certain features such as Volume EQ require an Android device to work.
