Pixel Buds Pro 2 get ANC improvements and a new olive color. Some new features will also come to the cheaper 2a

Although Google did not introduce new headphones with the Pixel 11 series, it doesn’t let its previously released models become outdated and continues to refine them with software. Pixel Buds Pro 2 are getting smarter noise cancellation, Gemini control, and a fresh olive color. Most of the new features will also arrive on the cheaper 2a model via an update.

You usually buy headphones, and from that moment on, they remain exactly as they were in the box. Google does things differently with its best series: it sends new features to headphones you might have owned for a year. We tested both headphone models on Svět Androida – the more expensive Pixel Buds Pro 2i and the cheaper Pixel Buds 2a – and both are among the best you can get for Android.

Dynamic ANC reacts to earbud movement

The main new feature is called dynamic ANC and is exclusive to Pixel Buds Pro 2. Previously, if the earbud loosened even slightly in the ear – when walking, exercising, or turning your head – noise cancellation would lose some of its effectiveness. Now, the headphones are designed to adjust the seal in real-time and keep ANC strong, no matter how the earbud sits. According to Google, even intense movement won’t throw it off.

The second change is more conversational. Instead of digging through the app, you can now simply say “Hey Google, turn up the bass” and Gemini will take care of adjusting the equalizer or volume directly through the headphones. It’s not that the company is only now putting artificial intelligence into them; the novelty is this voice control of audio.

What new features will the cheaper 2a also get?

Even if you don’t get dynamic ANC, if you own Pixel Buds 2a, you won’t be completely left out. Improved live translation, voice control via Gemini, and sleep mode will not remain exclusive to Pro 2 and will also arrive on the cheaper model.

Tapping the earbud will activate listening mode, and the headphones will translate over 70 languages for you in near real-time, without you having to touch your phone. It also works both ways: you say a sentence in your language, and the phone plays it back to the other person in theirs. In practice, this allows you to communicate while traveling or at the doctor’s, without the other person having to pull out their own phone (or passing one back and forth after every sentence).

Pixel Buds Pro 2 get ANC improvements and a new olive color. Some new features will also come to the cheaper 2a Adam Kurfürst News Adam Kurfürst News

Sleep mode, in turn, will link the headphones with Pixel Watch. As soon as the watch detects that you’ve fallen asleep, the headphones will automatically stop music, turn off touch controls, and mute notifications so you can sleep undisturbed. The logical condition is that you also add Google’s smartwatches to your phone and headphones.

Price and Availability

The olive green variant of Pixel Buds Pro 2 can be ordered from August 12, with software updates rolling out throughout September. On Alza, Pixel Buds Pro 2 currently cost 5 449 Kč, while the cheaper Pixel Buds 2a are priced at 3 190 Kč.

Which of the new features interested you the most?

Sources: Google, Engadget, 9to5Google