Google’s Pixel Buds landing here in Australia today

Way back at last year’s Made by Google event Google announced their second generation Pixel Buds. Unfortunately the Buds 2 were not released at that time but instead slated to be released in Autumn (AU time) of 2020.

The Pixel Buds 2 landed in the US in late April but were still not available in Australia along with most other countries worldwide. Whether this is by design or due to 2020 being, well, 2020 who knows but whatever the case they are now here.

Google has today announced that the second generation Pixel Buds — let’s call them Pixel Buds 2 — can now be purchased by Australians from the Google Store. The Pixel Buds 2 are Google’s first true wireless headphones and bring all of the features of generation one plus a few extras.

The Pixel Buds have a sporty, sleek shape that is similar to so many other true wireless headphones out there. They have a “low profile”design allowing them to fit snugly into the ear and are held in place partly with a “wing” or “stabiliser arc” as Google like to call it.

Ear ear tip comes with dual microphones to allow for clear voice calls along with an accelerometer to allow the earbuds to detect your voice based on vibrations caused by movement of your mandible. The underside of the earbud also houses a “spatial vent” to allow for ambient noise to be heard. This is also used to provide their “Adaptive Sound” to raise or lower the volume of the media based on said ambient noise.

The Pixel Buds 2 have touch sensitive sides with the functions mirrored on both earbuds. There are functions for single, double and triple tap along with a slide forwards or backwards.

Inside the Pixel Buds 2 house custom 12mm dynamic drivers that Google say deliver “a rich, full sound that sound great no matter the genre.” We will certainly put them to the test in our review.

Each earbud will provide for five hours of playback with another 24 hours of playback in the case. There is of course fast charge capabilities with a short 10 minutes of charging providing another two hours of playback.

The charging case is charged using USB-C or Qi charging. Other specs include an IPX4 sweat and water resistant rating and Bluetooth 5.0 for separate earbud functionality.

As for Google specific features they support a fast pairing setup, full Google Assistant integration along with notifications, and real time Google Translate functionality.

The Google Pixel Buds 2 promise to bring a great sound with some Googley functionality and ease of use in an attractive package. They are available in Clearly White only at this stage for AU$279 from the Google Store.

We are just finalising our review of them and will have that available for you to peruse in a short while.