We’re just days away from a raft of big Google product announcements. The Made By Google event takes place on August 13, and while the big stars of the show will be the Pixel 9 phones we’re also expecting the official reveal of the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2. Their existence isn’t exactly a secret because details have been leaking for weeks, and that means we’ve learned a great deal about them already. Here’s what you need to know.
Google Pixel Buds Pro 2: expected launch date and pricing
The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 will almost certainly make their debut on August 13, at the Made By Google event.
We don’t have confirmed pricing just yet but the current model, the Google Pixel Buds Pro, launched with an RRP of $199 / £179 /AU$299, undercutting the price of key rivals such as Apple‘s AirPods Pro.
The AirPods Pro 2 have list prices of $249 / £249 / AU$399 and we’d expect Google to undercut them again with the Buds Pro 2.
However, practically all tech has increased in price in the last couple of years, so while we’re still expecting a sub-Apple price tag, it could be slightly higher than the price of the OG Pixel Buds Pro.
One leak suggests we’re looking at $229 / £219 (about AU$350), or €249 in Europe. It’s only a rumor (so should be taken with a pinch of your preferred seasoning), but there it is…
Google Pixel Buds Pro 2: design upgrades
The most recent Pixel Buds Pro 2 leaks show a case that looks a little more bulky and a slight redesign to the Buds Pro themselves, with a new bulge near the ear tip that we suspect is there to make them sit more comfortably and securely. They also appear to have wing tips similar to, but smaller than, those of the Pixel Buds A-Series.
The launch colors are believed to be Charcoal, Porcelain, Aloe (to match the Pixel 8a), and Hot Pink.
Another leak that appears to be an actual product advert shows a little more: the capacitive touch plate appears to be significantly bigger this time around; Android Central suspects that it may be partly due to a larger battery causing Google to rethink the layout somewhat.
One interesting detail is that there’s a new cutout on the case next to the USB-C port. Speculation says it’s a speaker for Find My Device, enabling you to hear where you’ve left your case if you misplace it.
Google Pixel Buds Pro 2: new features
The new Buds may have more fitness features, as they’ve been developed in tandem with the Pixel Watch 3. But the things we want to see most are improvements over what’s already there. The Pixel Buds Pro are currently a little behind Apple when it comes to noise canceling and call quality, and regulatory filings suggest we’re looking at improved battery capacity in the charging case.
Better Bluetooth is likely – the current Buds Pro have v5.0 – and if Google doesn’t have some AI features to talk about we’ll eat our earbuds. However, no software details appear to have leaked so far and of course you can’t divine what they might be by looking at photos of the hardware, no matter how pretty it might be.
As and when we have concrete information, we will of course update you. For now, we wait…