The second generation Pixel Buds is just over ten months old and has given Google a respected headphone following the original 2017 offering. Audio Carriers are currently a very active category with unbridled competition, and it would be smart for Made by Google not to wait 2-3 years before releasing another product, especially since there are many places where they can decide .
The Pixel Buds line so far
Google’s invasion of wireless headphones began in October 2017. Announced at the very first Made at Google event, Pixel Buds was accompanied by the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, Pixelbook, Google Home Mini and Max, 2nd generation Daydream View, and Google Clips. It was a jam-packed event that reflected the company’s hardware ambition.
The first generation knobs have circular touch-sensitive surfaces that accept sweepers / taps and are connected by a braided cord. The cable can be adjusted to help fit, and lets you wear the Pixel Buds around your neck when not in use. It was a hassle to put them in their drawer (and remove them) as you had to wrap the rope around the perimeter.
Battery life is calculated at 5 hours of listening time, while the square, dust-covered case contains a full day’s of power.
Second generation Pixel Buds were announced at Made by Google 2019. During that time, Google learned how to create truly wireless earbuds (TWO). The company retained the round touch-sensitive surfaces, but opted for interchangeable soft fit tips that are part of a ‘three-point anchor system’ to flush and hold the Pixel Buds. There is also a ‘stabilizer arch’ that corresponds to the outer curvature of the ear, while a ‘retention curve’ that corresponds to the lower valley of your ear. A “spatial vent” prevents the “plugged ear” and lets carriers hear their surroundings.
There are 12mm dynamic speaker drivers and IPX4 resistance to water and sweat with dual beam-forming microphones in each knob that suppresses background noise. A voice accelerometer detects speech through vibrations in the jaw and detects IR proximity sensors when the eyes are worn for automatic play / pause.
Google has kept the battery life of the original, but the case – now satisfactorily egg-shaped – can be charged wirelessly in addition to USB-C.
What New Pixel Buds Can Do |
Since its launch in April, Google has expanded the availability of Pixel Buds internationally as well as color (Just Black, Oh So Orange, Quite Mint). There were a handful of bug fixes aimed at addressing stability and audio outages reported by some users, as well as a feature decline in August.
Software
But other than that, there was no indication from Google what was in the store. In 2019, the Pixel Buds were introduced as an example of Google’s vision for ‘ambient computing’ and that technology is always accessible. As such, Assistant is a large part of the experience in finding ‘hot Google’ keyword words to accept voice commands, while the company continues to advertise real-time translations.
Except for convenience, however, it is more or less the same assistant that you have access to on your phone. What’s more promising is how Google originally “made good use of useful experiences using the machine learning chips on the device.” One of these features today is Adaptive Sound to adjust the volume as you move around the world, noting the lower volume so you can hear better dogs barking, crying and sirens.
Google can certainly do more to expand on this. Wearables are closely linked to the idea of sound-based augmented reality. Pixel Buds can be contextually smarter by offering notifications and information, depending on where you are in the world and what you do.
Hardware
Physically, there is much more that Google can do. To begin with, Google may pay attention to the audio clipping that some users stubbornly report. The company can only do as much software optimization if there is a physical reason why certain owners are bothered with problems. Google may release a more expensive version that works in more environments and conditions, while adding other features.
Active Noise Reduction (ANC) would be greatest for those who want a more premium TWE experience. Since the environmental AI can detect sounds already, Google can do smart things to temporarily stop the ANC if someone tries to talk to you.
Except for new Pixel Buds Pro, Google can go the other way and explore the cheapest environment. My colleague Kyle Bradshaw suggested that Google would be wise to aseries of Pixel Buds cheaper than $ 179. Something closer to $ 100 will help popularize the Pixel Buds brand. Possible compromises may involve that only one button is touch sensitive or the detection of keywords.
Meanwhile, not everyone is a fan of the earphone form. With AirPods Max, Apple has clearly shown that there is interest in smart over-the-ear headphones. Google would be less constrained by having to fit so much technology into a compact space. It would also be a fun design playground for them to explore from materials (materials) to colors.
When can new Pixel Buds be launched?
If the 2019 offer was shipped in the year it was announced, Made by Google 2021 this fall is an excellent candidate for when we would hear of new Pixel Buds. However, they came in April 2020 and saw a wider international launch until July.
A direct follow-up (i.e. a third generation) of Pixel Buds below the annual mark seems premature. That said, it’s not too soon for Pixel Buds variants that help the family expand. Fundamentally, the wireless headphone space is very active and sticking to precedent means leaving Google out of the conversation.
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