Two years on, the Pixel Buds Pro have aged like fine wine

Two years have passed since the Pixel Buds Pro first hit store shelves. Launched at Google I/O 2022, they were the first in Google’s buds lineup to offer high-end features like active noise canceling. But with a launch price of $199, the Pixel Buds Pro didn’t outshine the competition and lacked some features that were almost considered industry standard by 2022.

Fast forward to today, however, and the Pixel Buds Pro have become some of the most well-rounded true wireless earbuds on the market. And I’m not referring to the fact that you can often find them on sale for less than $140. No, I’m referring to the many, many firmware updates that have completely transformed them since their release.

Pixel Buds Pro: Why they’re still worth buying

When I picked up the Pixel Buds Pro to complement my Pixel 8 Pro late last year, I only took a cursory glance at a handful of reviews before completing the purchase. It wasn’t until I paired the earbuds to my phone that I realized how outdated some of those launch-day reviews were.

Take Conversation Detection, for example. With the feature enabled, the buds automatically pause any playing media and engage the transparency mode whenever I start speaking. And after a brief period of silence, the buds re-enter ANC mode and resume playing my music. I don’t have to reach for my phone or the earbuds’ touch controls when someone approaches me for a short conversation — just a short “Hm?” does the trick.

Google only added Conversation Detection this past October, well into the Pixel Buds Pro’s lifecycle. Likewise, spatial audio was not available at launch but arrived with an eventual update. I used to dismiss spatial audio as a gimmick but after trying it out, it’s easy to tell the difference. The same update also introduced a five-band EQ that can be used to fix the buds’ slightly over-emphasized bass and treble, one of the most common complaints across early reviews.

The updates listed so far would be impressive enough for a pair of wireless earbuds, but I’ve still only scratched the surface. The Pixel Buds Pro also got Bluetooth Super Wideband for better voice calls, a low-latency mode tuned for gaming, and hearing wellness features. These are comparatively less impactful on my everyday use but noteworthy nonetheless.

While rival wireless earbud manufacturers also issue firmware updates every few months, I can’t tell you the number of patch notes I’ve read that simply state “connection improvements” and “minor bug fixes.” The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro I owned prior to the Pixel Buds Pro rarely received a meaningful update, if ever. More often than not, you would have to wait (and shell out money) for an entire hardware revision, like the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, to get any real new features.

Google’s cadence of regular feature drops is only really matched by Apple with its AirPods line. The second-gen AirPods Pro, also from 2022, have aged even better in this regard, as they will get more features with the iOS 18 update later this year.

Meanwhile, leaks have revealed that Google is gearing up to launch the Pixel Buds Pro 2 in a couple of weeks. The successor will likely pack improved ANC and bring back the series’ wingtip design. While we can’t say if the current-gen model that I have will continue to receive new features and updates, it’s still more mature than ever. To this day, virtually no other wireless earbuds pack multiple premium features like Bluetooth multipoint, conversation awareness, and spatial audio in the sub-$200 price range — often less on sale. The Pixel Buds Pro are a rare Google product that is worth buying even a whole two years after release, and I would pick up another pair on sale without hesitation.