Buds Competition: Google Pixel Buds And OnePlus Buds Take On New Apple AirPods

With the new generation of Pixel Buds and the previously confirmed OnePlus Buds, two more serious competitors are starting to compete against the popular Apple AirPods. Google’s True Wireless headphones are now available in Europe as well along with other countries.

As the US manufacturer Google announces, the new Pixel Buds are now also available in Europe including Germany and the UK along with Australia and Canada. In the in-house store, the Alphabet subsidiary lists the second generation of its Bluetooth headphones at a price of 193.98 euros. The delivery times are currently between 2 to 7 working days. Similar to the simple connection of the Apple AirPods to the iPhone, the pixel buds via “Fast Pair” enable a comparatively quick setup on Android smartphones. They are also compatible with newer iOS and iPadOS devices.

12-millimeter drivers encounter many software optimizations

In its new blog post, the company focuses on the quality of the microphones, voice control via the Google Assistant, and automatic sound adjustments. The latter takes care of an increase in volume, among other things, should ambient noise cover up the music being heard. Apart from that, the Pixel Buds allow real-time translations via the Google Translator and if the earplugs are lost they can be located using the “Find my device” function. Further features are expected with an update in the course of August.

According to the manufacturer, the battery life of the Google Pixel Buds should be 5 hours. It drops to 2.5 hours if you only use it for phone calls. The supplied charging case also provides a power supply for an additional 19 hours. A quick charge of 10 minutes should be enough to make the True Wireless headphones fit for two hours of music playback. Capacitive touch sensors are used to control the in-ear buds. Google Headphones do not offer active noise cancellation (ANC), as the Apple AirPods Pro has.

The new OnePlus Buds will be launched on July 21

In parallel to the launch of the Google Pixel Buds in Germany, the Chinese manufacturer OnePlus is announcing the upcoming presentation of its own “Buds“, which should take place next week. The first completely wireless headphones from OnePlus will also be unveiled on July 21 alongside the mid-range smartphones of the OnePlus Nord series. The company owes us technical information, images, and prices. CEO Pete Lau has so far merely said: “Our users are looking for the right combination of great sound quality, seamless connectivity, and an easy-to-use product. That’s exactly what the OnePlus Buds will deliver. “