There is a belief that wine gets better with age. Well, if that is true, then Google's Pixel Buds are the TWS equivalent of vine in the tech audio space. They were launched in mid-2022 as a pair of premium TWS with a very stiff price tag of Rs 19,990 and although they got generally favourable reviews for their audio quality, they were considered overpriced as they were missing features like spatial audio, head tracking and did not even have a graphic equaliser. Almost two years down the line, the Pixel Buds Pro are not just still around in the market and still very much Google's flagship TWS, but have also been improved significantly, thanks to a flurry of updates from Google. Best of all, they are now available at a much lower price - generally around Rs 11,990 and often below Rs 10,000, with special offers linked to specific banks and credit cards. At that price, they are hands down the best premium TWS you can get - in fact, we would go so far as to say that they are perhaps the best TWS an Android user can get. Still look smart, and have new shades too They might be a couple of years old, but the Pixel Buds Pro (review) still have a very distinct look about them. They come in a very compact, oval-shaped case that has a pebble-like look and feel to it. Initially released in a single Charcoal shade that had black buds inside a slightly off-white case, the Buds Pro now also come in Bay Blue and Porcelain shades that look very nice indeed. The Pixel Buds Pro are classic in-ear buds that go deep inside your ears and have no 'stems.' Each bud has a tiny Google logo on it and comes with touch controls. The buds and the case are a very smart sung package, with each bud being less than an inch in size and the case being slightly more than two inches long. Each bud is about 6 grams in weight and their weight with the case is about 62 grams. The case has magnets for shutting it and can easily be opened and flipped shut with one hand. In all, the Pixel Buds Pro are delightfully compact and can slip unobtrusively into a pocket. Their smallness also means that they do not protrude out of your ears when you are using them, so you do not end up looking like something Frankenstein created in his lab. Both the buds and the case are splash-resistant - the buds have an IPX4 rating while the case has an IPX2 rating. In simple English, they are great for use in the gym and during light drizzles but do not go dunking them in the water. They sound awesome (perhaps even awesome-r than before) They are smart and light, but what makes the Pixel Buds Pro special is their performance. They pair seamlessly with Pixel phones but can work equally well with other Android devices using the Pixel Buds app - you can actually access many functions even through Bluetooth device settings. Pairing is as easy as opening the case and pressing the single button on the back to get the buds into pairing mode. Once paired, you get wonderfully high-quality sound with just a slight hint of bass from the 11 mm dynamic drivers. And if you do not like what you hear, you can simply switch between different settings on the equaliser (added by an update) and even create a custom audio signature of your own. Sound volumes are excellent and if you have a Pixel handy, you can activate spatial audio and head tracking too. In terms of audio quality, we would rate these on par with Sony's WF-1000XM5 (review) and the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro, although with a slightly more 'bassy' sound. Clarity levels are excellent, making this super for gaming (they have a very good low latency mode), watching films, live telecasts (especially if spatial audio is supported), shows and podcasts. They are also staggeringly good at handling phone calls - easily among the best we have used. This is complemented by very good ANC, and an effective transparency mode as well as conversation awareness, where the buds twitch to transparency mode the moment they detect that you are speaking. The ANC is not multi-layered as in some other TWS but it works very well indeed and is handy enough for flights and noisy cafes. We do recommend using the ear tip fit test to make sure you get the best tips to ensure that maximum external is kept out by passive as well as active noise cancellation. Good battery, great controls and now a great price (unless you have an iPhone) There are some other very nice touches too. A Hearing Wellness section in the app advises you on the volumes at which you are hearing audio. And this being Google, you get fantastic Google Assistant integration, allowing you to do a lot by simply using your voice. Best of all, the touch controls on the buds are the best we have seen on any TWS this side of the AirPods. The touch surface on the buds might seem small but it works wonderfully. You can control volume by swiping forwards or backwards, and calls and tracks can be handled with simple taps while a long press lets you get into ANC mode. It is simple and very effective. Battery life is very good as well with about 7-8 hours on the buds (with ANC, without it it gets to 10-12 hours), about 20 hours with the case (with ANC, another 10 hours without it). There is support for wireless charging as well, in the best premium TWS tradition. Mind you, it is not all roses. You need a relatively recent Pixel to make the most of these buds, and well, they do not play nice with iPhones, where they do deliver good sound and decent ANC but not many of the other features you get on Android and cannot be updated. Google has also kept the package for these TWS very basic - you only get the TWS and some additional ear tips. There is not even a USB Type-C cable in there, although with the price cut, that is not as much of an irritant as it used to be. In sum, they might be getting on in years, but their new pricing makes the Pixel Buds Pro perhaps the best premium TWS you can get for around Rs 10,000 for Android (we really they work best with Android). They are easy to use, sound awesome, have very good ANC, are superb at calling and handle Google Assistant brilliantly. Round that off with good battery life and a really smart design with a case that is splash resistant as well, and we think that the Pixel Buds Pro are among the best TWS an Android user could buy. They might have seemed a little limited at launch but frequent updates have made them good enough to go toe to toe against the best out there. And at their price of about Rs 10,000 (Rs 9,999 on Flipkart at the time of writing), they are unbeatable. The only valid reason for not buying them is having an iPhone!
