I love a bargain. Who doesn’t, really? And in the mobile sphere, there are bargains aplenty, with many mid-range and budget phones being able to compete with the best flagship phones in certain ways.
As such, you can get a lot of bang for your buck if you pick the right phone. But can the same be said for other products, like earbuds?
Sometimes, yes. The Google Pixel Buds 2a are the “mid-range” version of the flagship Pixel Bids Pro 2, and at first glance, they offer basically the same experience as their more expensive brethren.
So, with a price difference of $100, you’d expect the Pixel Buds 2a to be the Google earbuds to buy, right?
As a long-time user of the original Pixel Buds Pro and a new owner of the Pixel Buds Pro 2, I’m here to tell you no. That $100 may be a significant relative jump in price, but it’s absolutely worth paying that money. Here’s why.
The differences between the two are fairly small
Far too much is ‘coming soon’
As with all good prospective bargains, the Pixel Buds 2a and Pro 2 share many features. Both feature Google’s Tensor A1 chip, which means they both have access to Gemini Live, if you’re minded to chat to Google’s AI.
One of the biggest selling points of the Pixel Buds 2a is the inclusion of active cancellation, which cancels out sounds from outside your earbuds, reducing distractions as much as possible.
The Buds 2a do have a less advanced version of Google’s Silent Seal that adapts your earbuds to your ear to minimize sound leakage and outside noise, but that’s probably not worth worrying about.
Both have Google’s twist-to-adjust system, which helps your buds sit firmly in your ear, and that’s probably more important on an everyday basis.
The battery life on the Pro 2 earbuds is significantly better, both in the earbuds themselves and the case, but the Buds 2a are still claimed to last for 10 hours when used without active noise cancellation — so really, it’s not that big a deal.
A lot of the big differences are marked with two very irritating words: “coming soon.”
Features like Adaptive Audio, Loud Noise Protection, and the ability to use Gemini Live in noisy places aren’t implemented yet, and that just makes the Buds 2a an even better deal.
Because I buy hardware based on what it can do right now, not what it promises to do in the future.
The most vital differences are must-haves
I would miss these a lot
So far, so good, right? The Pixel Buds 2a hold up quite well against its more expensive sibling. But some features are not worth compromising on. The first of these is wireless charging.
While you can drop the Pixel Buds Pro 2’s case onto a wireless charging pad, and it’ll top up, that feature is missing from the Pixel Buds 2a. Instead, it can only charge through a wired connection.
This one is, personally speaking, less impactful. I have used this feature, and if you have a phone with reverse wireless charging, you can charge your buds up in a pinch.
Ultimately, this comes down to how much you use wireless charging.
Since getting the Pixel 10 Pro with Pixelsnap, I’ve invested in a lot more wireless charging, so not being able to top up my earbuds would be a pain. But being tethered to a wire isn’t that bad really, I would just much rather have the option than not.
But the next feature is vital, as far as I’m concerned. And frankly, not having it feels like getting a seriously subpar experience. I’m talking about the loss of swipe volume controls.
You might think I’ve gone a little bit mad, but bear with me here.
Out of all the Pixel Buds Pro 2’s features, swiping to control the volume is the only one I use every single day.
Noise cancellation? Can go weeks without using that. Gemini Live? I don’t think I’ve used it once. Wireless charging? Sure, when it needs charging — which isn’t often.
But changing the volume through swipes? I do that every single day, multiple times a day.
Sure, you can change the volume on your phone, but you’re losing a ton of convenience by not getting swipe controls.
Why make your life harder?
Spend the $100 extra, if you can
Maybe it doesn’t seem that bad to you. But imagine if your smartphone suddenly didn’t have volume keys.
To change the volume, you have to open the quick settings bar or go into the Settings app. It’s doable, yes, but you’d soon tire of how long it took.
That’s how it feels getting your phone out of your pocket every time you need to make a small volume change.
Swipe controls let you quickly make a change while barely lifting a finger. It’s simple and efficient, and it makes the Pixel Buds Pro 2 far more useful than you’d imagine.
Can you live without it? Of course you can. But should you? In my opinion, no. For the sake of $100, you shouldn’t need to inhibit yourself.
The Pixel Buds 2a are a solid pair of earbuds, but you should buy the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 instead.
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- Battery Life
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8 hours with ANC (30 hours with case)
- Noise Cancellation
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Yes, active
- Bluetooth
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Bluetooth 5.4
- Microphones
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Yes
- IP rating
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IP54 (Earbuds), IPX4 (Case)
- Supported codecs
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AAC, SBC
The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 features an enhanced design, new audio drivers, and new AI features.
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Google Pixel Buds 2a
- Battery Life
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With ANC on, up to 7 hours
- Microphones
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Two microphones
- Bluetooth
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V5.4
- IP Rating
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IP68
- Driver Size
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11mm
- Charging type
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USB-C
These new budget earbuds from Google offer active noise cancellation and a great battery life for just $130.
