Google Pixel Buds (2017)

They sound better than expected ; Intuitive touch controls ; Solid battery life

They don't shut out ambient noise at all ; Obnoxious case design ; Touch pads are easy totap accidentally ; Google Assistant seems hit-or-miss

Chris is Engadget's senior mobile editor and moonlights as a professional moment ruiner. His early years were spent taking apart Sega consoles and writing awful fan fiction. That passion for electronics and words would eventually lead him to covering...

Instant translation is fun, relatively accurate ; Loud audio with full bass ; Controls work well ; Charging case takes you off the grid

Expensive for tethered earbuds ; Charging case hard to close, feels flimsy ; Earbuds fit oddly

Google’s Pixel Buds are a solid first entry in the world of wireless earbuds, and for Pixel phone buyers, they provide some unique features that may be worth consideration. At $159, however, they don’t offer the kind of features and performance we...

Clean, smooth sound ; Featherlight and super comfortable ; Compatible with most recent USB-C devices ; You might love the in-ear cable loops

Negligible noise isolation ; Lightweight bass ; Glossy white finish isn’t easy to keep looking pristine ; You might hate the in-ear cable loops

Unless you’re up to your eyeballs in the Apple ecosystem and Lightning is the most common port on your devices, it’s hard to think of many reasons not to own a pair of these Pixel USB-C earbuds. The Pixel USB-C buds are exceptional in their particular...

Fast access to Google Assistant ; Good battery life ; Acceptable sound for this form factor

Super awkward case ; Constantly have to adjust ear fit ; Touchpad allows too many errant taps ; Open design lets in too much outside noise

The Pixel Buds tease some really fantastic ideas that I hope Google will someday deliver on. But this is a first-generation product in the bad kind of way, and it looks even worse when you compare it to Apple’s growing success with the AirPods....

Visually attractive. Includes battery case. Solid bass.

Google Assistant and Google Translate features aren't any better than just using the phone apps on their own. Uncomfortable earbud design. Sound quality does not measure up for the price.

Almost everything about the Google Pixel buds sounds really interesting. Wireless headphones with a minimalist design, Google Assistant and Google Translate integration, and a battery-equipped charging case. Unfortunately, what is appealing on paper...

Google Assistant is fast and helpful ; Pairing process with Android phones is easy ; Tap-controls are straightforward

Design isn't truly wireless ; Sound quality is middling ; Google Translate can be awkward and requires Pixel 2 ; Carrying case is large and fiddly

Consistent audio delivery. Over 7 hours of continuous playback. Supports multi-device pairing. Easy to use controls. Excellent noise isolation performance.

Disappointing overall mic quality. Bad passive soundstage. Depending on your ear shape, buds can pop out of your ear.

The Google Pixel Buds Pro are satisfactory for neutral sound. Although our graphs show that they have a fairly flat sound, their real-life sound is more v-shaped. It's likely due to the buds popping out of our test rig's ears, since even in their...

Decent battery life. Stable and adjustable fit. Compact and portable.

Poor noise isolation, by design. Uneven audio reproduction.

The Google Pixel Buds Gen 1 are mediocre mixed usage headphones with a few unique features. They're decently comfortable and stable, thanks to their earbud design and adjustable stability tips. They're also compact enough to fit into most pockets and...

Compact and portable. ; Stable and adjustable fit. ; Decent battery life.

Poor noise isolation. ; Sub-Par bass-lacking sound quality. ; Not truly wireless.