Always-on Google Assistant Live language translation Auto-play/pause Sleek design

Aggressive, fatiguing sound Can fall out easily No noise reduction Mediocre battery life

The new true wireless Google Pixel Buds are a major upgrade on their predecessors. The always-listening Google Assistant is great, but the lack of active noise cancellation and fatiguing sound quality at this price are a disappointment.

Nicely designed ; Great case ; Wireless Qi charging ; Good sound quality ; Deep Google Assistant integration ; Fast pairing a bonus for Android users

Poor external sound isolation ; No active noise-cancellation (ANC) ; Assistant experience inconsistent ; 5 hour battery life is below average

If you're looking for an attractive set of smart true wireless headphones - and deep Google Assistant integration is top of your list - then the Google Pixel Buds 2 has plenty to offer. On top of that, the ease of pairing for Android users can't be...

Let you talk to Google hands-free ; Grown-up sound tuning

Meh battery life ; No active noise cancellation, so-so passive isolation

The Pixel Buds sound good if you’re fine with leaner bass, but the missing active noise cancellation gaping hole at £180

Excellent design and build quality ; Complete hands-free support for Google Assistant ; Good sound and great mic quality ; IPX4 water protection rating

Batter life can be improved ; Lack of value-added support for iOS ; No active noise cancellation

Very good sound for the price and form factor Better looking and more comfortable than standard AirPods Hands-free Google Assistant support Smooth sailing on Android and iOS

Active noise cancellation would help greatly Adaptive sound is a little too subtle Translation is ambitious but awkward

Google's new wireless earbuds beat the standard AirPods in a few key ways, but there's still plenty of room for them to grow in future versions.

Errr....

Uncomfortable Design, Poor Sound Quality, Real-Time Translation Doesn't Work As Advertised, Expensive, Poor Battery Life, Too Expensive

Terrible. I wanted to love these headphones, but the reality of using them is just one depressing event after the other. The battery sucks, the sound quality sucks, they’re uncomfortable and they cannot translate language in real-time.

Streamlined setup ; Attractive look ; Excellent voice integration ; Useful features

Average battery life ; No noise cancellation technology

Very comfortable ; Reliable touch controls ; Solid audio ; Affordable price ; Improved Assistant performance

Adaptive Sound is a work-in-progress ; No ANC ; Battery life ; No audio customization

Much-improved design ; Wireless charging ; Hands-free Google Assistant ; Easy pairing on Android phones

Connection stability concerns ; Stabilizer arc can cause discomfort after extended listening ; Average battery life ; Vented design lets in a fair amount of outside noise

Google’s new Pixel Buds are greatly improved over the original version. They’re now truly wireless, have better sound quality, and let you use hands-free Google Assistant voice commands.