Of the tech brands that have waded into the headphone market, Apple has been the one everyone has tried to copy, including Google with its Pixel Buds Pro 2.
Apple arguably legitmised the true wireless market with the launch of the original AirPods all the way back in 2016. If you have an iPhone you more than likely have an pair of AirPods to go with it.
That’s the level of success that Google wants with its Pixel Buds series. For every Pixel (or Android phone in general), it’d like Pixel Buds headphones to go with it.
Apple and Google aren’t competing against each other in terms of sales of headphones, but if you want to know how they compare, we’ve got the details you need.
Battery life is around the same
In terms of its performance per charge, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 now offer 8 hours on a single charge with ANC on. That compares favourably against Apple, whose AirPods Pro 2 hit 6 hours per charge.
But, total battery life is the same with the AirPods Pro 2 featuring more charges in its case. Both can offer up to 30 hours, though if you’ve done your maths, you’d probably figured out that 30 hours doesn’t divide easily by 8.
Both have spatial audio support
The AirPods Pro 2 can playback Dolby Atmos with head-tracking support, and while the Pixel Buds Pro 2 haven’t explicity stated Atmos compatibility in the tech specs that we’ve seen, there is confirmation of spatial audio with head-tracking as well.
Water resistance is the same
Take your earphones out for running, or at the gym, or do you use them in the rain? Both the Pixel Buds Pro 2 and the Apple AirPods Pro 2 feature IP54 rating. That protects them against dust, sweat, and water; though of the two, the Apple earphones offer better protection with the case (IP54 compared to IPX4).
The Pixel Buds Pro 2 are slightly cheaper
It’s not likely that you’ll be choosing between the Pixel Buds (which are made for Android devices) and the AirPods Pro (which is made for iOS devices), but the RRP for the Pixel Buds Pro 2 is £219 / $219, while the AirPods Pro 2 is currently £229 / $229.
You can find the Apple earphones for £199 if you buy elsewhere from Apple.
