Smart speakers in your ears

Google Pixel Buds Pro review: Smart speakers in your ears Jan 02, 2023, 09:46 am 8 min read The Google Pixel Buds Pro is priced at Rs. 18,999 in India Continuing with our

exploration of Google-branded products, we now have the flagship true wireless (TWS) earbuds from the company. The Google Pixel Buds Pro aims to take on the likes of Sony

WF-1000XM4 and Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro which are the best under Rs. 20,000 in India currently. On paper, it doesn't seem equipped with all the tools it would need to dislodge the

two from the top. But as we have seen with the Pixel phones, the software magic often tends to fill in for certain on-paper deficiencies. Speaking of software, or the companion app

rather, it was highly undercooked at the launch of these earbuds, but a few updates have turned things around in a big way in recent times. Time to take a closer look at the Google

Pixel Buds Pro and what it brings to the table in this segment. Excellent build quality, unusual earbuds design, good in-ear fit The earbuds have a peculiar design that's hard to

describe in words; maybe bean-shaped would come close. However, the earbuds feel comfortable in the ears with a snug fit. Despite the buds being slightly on the larger side, they

do not stick out of the ears much and stay in place during jogs and workouts. The pre-installed medium-sized silicone eartips provide a good seal and passive noise isolation. Three

pairs of different-sized tips are bundled along in case medium doesn't fit you best. Do spend a few minutes choosing the right ones as it helps in achieving better noise reduction.

The companion app can also assist you in choosing the right ones. The build quality of the product is excellent with a smooth matte finish and circular touch zones at the back of

the buds. You only get the Charcoal black variant of the Pixel Buds Pro here in India. While the buds are black, the case has a white matte finish to offer a perfect contrast. The

compact charging case feels premium thanks to the materials used and is fairly pocketable. The case has a charge indicator LED at the front, a Bluetooth pairing button back and a

USB-C charging port at the bottom. The earbuds weigh a little over 6 grams each, while the charging case measures 50 grams. Great Google Assistant integration, good companion app,

poor codec support Each earbud is fitted with an 11mm driver and three microphones. The Pixel Buds Pro supports just SBC and AAC codecs over Bluetooth 5.0. Despite being a flagship

product from the tech giant, there is no support for high-end codecs like aptX HD, LDAC, or LHDC, which is a questionable decision. There is multi-point support though to connect