Google announced its newest pair of true wireless earbuds, the Pixel Buds Pro 2, at the company’s August Made by Google event.
Here’s how the Pixel Buds Pro 2 compare to Samsung’s own second-generation Pro earbuds, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro (2022).
The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are more water-resistant
When it comes to durability, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro have the upper hand with their IPX7 water resistance rating. Precisely, this means that the earbuds are protected against liquids when fully immersed at depths between 15 cm and 1 metre for a period of up to 30 minutes at a time, so you shouldn’t have any worries taking when to the gym or wearing them during a short bout of rain.
The Pixel Buds Pro 2, on the other hand, are rated IP54. This actually makes them better protected against solids, such as dust and sand, but only guarded against splashes when it comes to liquids such as sweat and water.
Both earbuds are equipped with AI
One of Google’s biggest smartphone features this year is also coming to its earbuds. The Pixel Buds Pro 2 support Google Gemini, meaning you can ask the AI assistant for help with directions, reading information from your emails, brainstorming and more, all hands-free. However, you will need a phone that supports Gemini to access this feature.
The same goes for the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, which come equipped with Galaxy AI. One of the most handy features here is Interpreter, which provides live language translations when speaking face-to-face or over the phone.
Both earbuds deliver immersive 360 audio
Both pairs of earbuds are also equipped with 360 audio capabilities. The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro feature 360 Audio works alongside Galaxy phones, tablets and select TV models to create a spatial listening experience that follows the direction of your head.
The Pixel Buds Pro also include spatial audio with head tracking, again allowing you to pinpoint the direction of a sound when you move your head from left to right.
The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 pack a longer battery life
When it comes to endurance, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 have the longest battery life of these two pairs of earbuds.
The Pixel Buds Pro 2 offer up to 8 hours of playback or 30 hours including the case with noise cancelling switched on, or 12 hours in the earbuds and 48 hours in the case with ANC turned off.
The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro fall a bit shorter, with the earbuds offering 5 hours of listening and the case a total 18 hours. These specs are with ANC switched on, so you can expect them to increase somewhat with noise cancelling off.
The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are much cheaper
When it comes to price, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are by far the cheapest of the two earbuds. This comes down to the fact these earbuds are already two years old.
Priced at £219 at launch, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are now available for as little as £95 on Amazon.
The Pixel Buds Pro 2, meanwhile, are brand new and cost £219 at launch. This means you could pay more than double for the Google earbuds.
