The New Google Pixelbuds Are Finally Up For Sale

Google's new Pixel Buds wireless earbuds have gone on sale, offering an Android-focused alternative to Apple's AirPods and an attempt to fix the first-gen model's flaws. Announced last October, alongside the Pixel 4, the new Pixel Buds cuts the neck cord that was one of the primary criticisms of their predecessors, as well as introducing new Bluetooth features.

Indeed, ease of pairing and stability of connection are two of the main areas of focus, Google says, for its new earbuds. For that, it's using an upgraded version of Fast Pair, Android's Bluetooth pairing system.

Open the Pixel Buds charging case near your Android 6.0+ or newer device, and a dialog pops up offering to pair them. There are also battery notifications – for each earbud and the charging case too – while Android 10 devices get extra features like Find My Device and linking to the Google Assistant. Android will pop up notifications when you need to charge the case, too, and if you misplace that or the earbuds there's location pinging and even the ability to ring one of the buds.

As for audio, beam forming microphones have been included on each Pixel Buds earbud. They work with a sensor that tracks jaw movement, so that the earbuds can better isolate your speech when you're actually talking. Adaptive Sound, meanwhile, automatically adjusts the Pixel Buds' volume based on external noise, temporarily raising it to overcome louder ambient sounds, then returning it afterwards.

"Hey Google" voice-controlled triggering for the Google Assistant is included, and there's real-time language translation using Google Translate. That taps into the split-screen UI on an Android phone.

Not every Android device will necessarily get all the features. You'll need a Bluetooth 4.0 device or newer – that includes iOS phones and tablets, as well as laptops – and an Android device if you want to use the Google Assistant or Google Translate. Both of those features also require an active internet connection, too.

Each earbud has capacitive touch sensors for controlling music, calls, and the Assistant; they also get proximity sensors to automatically play and pause music when you put the Pixel Buds in your ears or take them out again. The charging case, meanwhile, has both a USB-C port and supports Qi wireless charging. The buds are IPX4 rated for water protection, and promise up to 5 Horus of listening time or up to 2.5 hours of talk time.

The case extends that to up to 24 hours of listening time or up to 12 hours of talk time. A 10 minute charge in the case will be sufficient for two hours of Pixel Buds listening time, or up to an hour of talk time. Each bud is 5.3 grams, and the case is 66.7 grams with the Pixel Buds inside.

Google is taking orders now, for Clearly White, priced at $179. They'll later be available in Almost Black, Quite Mint, and Oh So Orange. As well as from Google direct, the Pixel Buds will be offered through AT&T, Best Buy, Target (in early May), T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular, Verizon, and Walmart.