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Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 (Quick Look) - Google Tensor in an Earbud

This latest generation of earbud is the most-advanced yet, with Google Tensor powering the audio device, and Gemini AI backing it up.

Audio transcription

"Hello everyone and welcome to another Gamereactor Quick Look.
Not too long ago, Google announced their broadest lineup of Pixel products yet, and one of those products was, well, the long-awaited sequel to the Google Pixel Buds Pro."

"They're just called the Buds Pro 2, and there is a lot to like about Google's sort of revamp of their more serious sort of audiophile in-ears.
Now these are the ones, they obviously come in more colors than just this lime green, but if there's one thing that initially stands out is the weight and size reduction."

"These are 27% smaller and they're 24% lighter, meaning that these are amongst the smallest sort of physically smallest noise-canceling in-ears that money can buy today, and I think they look very good.
Google has a tendency to use these round sort of riverstone design aesthetics that govern the way that their items look."

"One thing where they have gone straight away from that and into sort of the industrial hard-line thing is with the Pixel phones.
Now I've lent mine a bit of a softer side through the use of a dbrand real leather skin, but these are the, these breathe the old Google, the riverstone Google alongside the Pixel watch, which I really do appreciate."

"Now alongside being smaller and lighter, there is, I don't know if you can tell on the close-up, but there is a small rubber wing here, which is actually something that has been brought over almost wholesale from the Pixel Buds A series, which means that this has a much tighter fit within your ear."

"There are a lot of other good things.
It has a Tensor A1 chip, the first chipset that Google has designed from the ground up for in-ears, which is great.
That's what you want."

"And it has like new improved features like better clear calling, which means that calls from these are just some of the best that I've ever heard.
It has 30 hours of listening time between, well, these units themselves and the case where they slot in pretty easily with magnets."

"I should stress that this is obviously the Nomad leather jacket for the Pixel Buds.
The reason I'm not showing the case itself is that it's just identical to the last couple of cases that Google has made.
It supports Qi wireless charging, which is great."

"It has fast charging and fast pairing if that's what you're into.
There are a couple of gripes.
It's not the sound.
The 11 millimeter drivers work very well."

"And I think the noise cancellation has actually become not industry leading.
We just saw how Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro 3 did it, which was better than anyone else.
But it's actually Gemini, believe it or not, because these are the first Gemini earbuds.
Now, Gemini earbuds is a bit of a, it's a term that you're going to have to, you know, take up like debate ever so slightly, because that means that it's a Gemini pair of earbuds if you speak in English."

"And here in Denmark, when you want to speak Danish, it's Google Assistant.
But Google Assistant is fine, right?
Well, couple of things.
First and foremost, I could not get voice recognition of very central commands to work reliably."

"That is speaking the names of my contacts when I want to call them.
First and foremost, I had to turn off in the settings that it requires my phone to be unlocked for that call to go through, meaning that I would have the phone in my hand, meaning that I could just call them."

"The reason I'm calling them through a command to Google Assistant is obviously because I don't have my phone near me enough to just pick up the phone and call.
So that is something that I could actually turn off in the settings, which was very nice.
Apart from that, it was just basic recognition of names, basic recognition of basic commands like turning off the lights in my home or adding a quick note to my Google Keep."

"These things, I don't know why.
Maybe it's an ongoing battle between the dying Google Assistant and the supreme ruler of Gemini that Google is in an in-between spot right now, where it seems weird that both of these assistants live at the same time."

"This didn't really fly well for me, and I don't really get why.
But apart from that, the fundamentals all are here, except for one thing.
And this is a general thing, it's not a Google thing.
This little area right here is how you use, well, give them specific commands."

"You swipe across this little surface area to turn up or volume down, you tap it in order to receive calls or end them, you hold to activate your assistant, or the other way around to either go transparency or noise cancelling.
Problem is that when you have in-ears, which are already penetrating pretty deep into your ear, touching it is not nice."

"It is not a good way to do that.
Apple proved this years ago by adding a little squeezable stem instead, meaning that it was through that that you interacted with the buds.
That's still a fantastic way of interacting with your in-ears."

"So for instance, if you want to talk to Siri, which no one wants to do, you squeeze the stem in order to get that done.
But here, I have to hold my finger on a piece of plastic which connects very fragily to my inner ear."

"It's not a deal breaker, a lot of in-ears, the majority of in-ears do this, but I would want for a different user interface paradigm here.
Apart from that, great piece, but mostly because the Google understands the fundamentals.
Paint and finish, style, case design, charging speed and charging options, audio quality, voice quality on calls, it's all here."

"And if you end up buying a pair of Buds Pro 2, you'll probably be very happy with it.
I'm interested to see what's going to happen with Gemini taking over for Google Assistant and those very basic commands.
And whether or not that more conversational AI style will make it easier to understand what it is that I'm saying."

"But until then, careful.
See you on the next one."

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