Maybe it’s just us, but it seems like every company that makes audio technology is trying to make something similar to Apple’s AirPods Pro, which are very popular. Google just came out with a pair of true wireless ANC (active noise cancelling) earbuds that compete with the AirPods Pro. Apple has finally updated the original AirPods Pro, releasing the second generation of their best true wireless earbuds at their “Far Out” event in September.
The new buds look almost exactly like the old ones, but they have a new and more powerful H2 chip, better noise cancellation and transparency mode, a better battery, and more. We haven’t tried the Pixel Buds Pro yet, but Google has given us enough information that we can see how they compare to the Pixel Buds.
When you see that white stem, you know you’re looking at a pair of AirPods. Apple made them shorter for the Pro version. This makes them a little less obvious than the regular AirPods, but the glossy white doesn’t hide them. They are different because they have silicone tips that make a better seal and a vent that lets air out of your ears. At the end of each stem is a capacitive sensor that can be touched to control playback and phone calls.
Price and availability
At launch, the Google Pixel Buds Pro are selling for $199, which is less than Apple’s AirPods Pro, which were selling for $249 at launch. However, the chances of finding the Apple AirPods Pro on sale at major online retailers these days are very high you can buy Apple AirPods Pro product from Apple store.
We suggest you save our best AirPods deals and best headphones deals pages to your bookmarks so you can find out about the latest Apple wireless earbuds sales. Even though the AirPods Pro have a higher starting price, when discounts and overall functionality are taken into account, they look like the better buy.
Google Pixel Buds Pro vs Apple AirPods Pro Comparison Table
| Google Pixel Buds Pro | Apple AirPods Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $199 | $249 |
| Wireless Charging Case | Yes | Yes |
| Chip | Google six-core processor | H1 |
| Battery Life | 7 hours (ANC on), 11 hours (ANC off), 20 hours (charging case with ANC on), 31 hours (charging case with ANC off) | 4.5 hours (ANC on), 5 hours (ANC off), 24 hours (with charging case) |
| Water Resistance | IPX4 | IP4 |
| Weight | 0.22 ounces (per bud); 2.2 ounces (charging case) | 0.19 ounces (per bud); 1.6 ounces (charging case) |
| Size | 0.88 x 0.87 x 0.93 inches (per bud); 0.98 x 1.97 x 2.49 inches (charging case) | 0.94 by 0.86 by 1.22 inches (per bud); 1.8 x 0.9 x 2.4 inches (charging case) |
Google Pixel Buds Pro vs Apple AirPods Pro Design
The AirPods Pro and Google Pixel Buds are both sets of wireless earbuds that were made to be easy to use and give the best experience to the end user. Since the early 2000s, Apple has been known for making beautiful, simple hardware, and all of those years have gone into making the AirPods Pro. Its angled stems make the earbuds easy to take out and put back in, and they also work as pressure-sensitive control modules.
Even the way the ear tips are attached is well thought out. Instead of pushing the silicone sleeve over a plastic nozzle, the AirPods Pro ear tips click into a moat-like divot around the earbud grill. This gives the ear tips a more secure fit than the standard way of putting them in. The AirPods Pro are different from the original AirPods because they have nozzles that fit into your ear canals.
The obvious benefit is a more stable fit, but it also improves noise cancellation. The hardware does the work of passively filtering out background noise, making it easier for the active noise cancellation technology to further cancel out ambient sounds. Apple gives users three sizes of ear tips: small, medium, and large. This means that most people should be able to find a good fit.
In the settings menu, you can take a fit test to see if the tips you chose are the best ones. Google’s Pixel Buds have a disc shape instead of the popular stem shape. The Pixel Buds (2020) are thinner than the AirPods Pro because their housings are wider. This means they can lie flush with the outer ear instead of sticking out like some kind of ear-lollipops. Like the AirPods Pro, the Pixel Buds’ ear tips make a good seal
Google Pixel Buds Pro vs Apple AirPods Pro Connectivity
Both the Google Pixel Buds Pro and the Apple AirPods Pro have Bluetooth version 5.0 and use SBC and AAC codecs, so they are the same. If Google was only going to include one high-quality codec in its headset for Android phones, AAC was a strange choice. AAC works best with iOS, and some Android devices have been shown to not work well with it. If you use AAC to stream audio and video to the Pixel Buds Pro, you might notice some lag.
Android’s Fast Pair makes it easy to connect the Google Pixel Buds Pro to your Android phone or tablet. By using Fast Pair on one of your Android devices, the Pixel Buds Pro connects automatically to all of your other Android devices. When paired with an Android device using Fast Pair, the Google Pixel Buds Pro use technology to switch between devices based on the sound coming from each one.
For instance, if your Pixel Buds Pro are connected to your phone and your tablet makes a sound when you get an email, the headset won’t switch to the tablet. But when a phone call came in, a switch would turn on. If you don’t have an Android device, you can set up the headphones to connect to up to two devices at once using Bluetooth multipoint.
Google Pixel Buds Pro vs Apple AirPods Pro Battery Life
Doesn’t it drive you wild when your earbuds die right when your favorite song starts playing? This can be less of a problem if you buy earbuds with a long battery life. The AirPods Pro 2 say they can be used for six hours on a single charge and 30 hours with the charging case.
The Pixel Buds Pro, on the other hand, can be used for about seven hours on a single charge and 31 hours with the charging case. The battery life of the AirPods Pro 2 is better than that of its predecessors, but it’s still not as good as that of the Pixel buds.
Google Pixel Buds Pro: Pros and Cons
Pros
- All-day comfort
- Tremendous bass
- Excellent ANC
- Reliable touch controls
Cons
- No high-bitrate codec support
- Practically nonexistent EQ settings (at launch)
- Somewhat bulky
Apple AirPods Pro: Pros and Cons
Pros
- Really great audio quality
- Modern, functional design
- Acceptable battery life
- The pressure-sensitive stem is great
Cons
- Charges via lightning cable
- Design is not for everyone
Which one should you consider?
If you have an iPhone, you should buy the Apple AirPods Pro, and if you have an Android phone, you should buy the Google Pixel Buds Pro. Both headsets have features that can only be used with compatible phones. If you mix and match Android and Apple products, you’ll miss out on a lot of what you’re paying for.
Even though Google Pixel Buds Pro and Apple AirPods Pro are made by the same company, they each have their own strengths. Active noise cancellation works better on the Google Pixel Buds Pro than on the AirPods Pro. On the other hand, if you listen in a quiet place, the sound quality of the AirPods Pro is better. The battery life of the Google headset is longer, but the IP rating of the AirPods Pro is higher. There are also some features that aren’t as important but are unique to each headset. For example, the Apple AirPods Pro have Spatial Audio and the Google Pixel Buds Pro have Google Translate live translation.
