(ThyBlackMan.com) This October, Google Pixel Buds appeared for the first time. The headphones are specifically designed for the Google phones and are a powerful answer to Apple’s AirPods. You can use them with any phone (as long as it meets the minimum requirements) but there are some limitations that make it a perfect choice for Google phone users.
The Pixel Buds headphones look like Apple’s AirPods. Available at the same price tag of US$159, Buds feature easy controls, a powerful way to pair with your devices, and integration with the Google Assistant. The headphones will be available in the market from November.
Google has made Pixel Buds and calls them wireless headphones.
That’s actually true, but the headphones are not truly wireless. They come with a cord made of cloth. The cord connects left and the right earbuds and ideally makes the Pixel Buds a great choice for those who love neckbuds. They sit around your neck and are far better than the other neckbuds available in the market.
The Google Pixel Buds are beautiful and more useful than the traditional wireless headphones. But if you compare the headphones with the Apple AirPods, you will find that the AirPods are technically stronger and more powerful than the Pixel Buds. The reasons are many. The Buds by Google don’t feature the capability of auto-detection. Apple AirPods can detect the motion. For example, if you take the AirPods out of your ear, the auto-detection system will work and will react to the motion.
Google’s new headphones focus more on assistance from the company’s own technologies. One of the biggest problems AirPods users face is the fear of losing the headphones. Google understands the same and that’s the reason why the company didn’t go for the cordless headphones for which it would have to sell additional accessory to keep the buds together.
The controls on the Google Pixel Buds are easy and surprisingly different. You can control them with gesture support. For example, if you want to play or pause the music, a gentle tap on the right earbud will do the job. Similarly, if you want to increase or decrease the volume, swiping forward and backward will help you control such things. Google has taken care of small details. When a notification comes, you can just double tap the earbud and the notification details will be spoken out loud.
When we say that it lacks some of the features found on the AirPods, it also gives you a convenient option for better control. Swiping up and down interrupts the listening experience because accidental drops happen when the headphone simply pops out of the ear.
The beauty and ease of use are good, but Google also didn’t pay attention to some basic features. There’s no way to change the controls or assign new controls. Additionally, you can’t forward or skip music. No specific button or gesture support is available for the same.
Wireless headphones are certainly the future. Be it an iPhone or Android phones, the removal of audio jack is becoming a trend and a large number of people are choosing wireless headphones over the wired earbuds.
Since the product is not available in the market for users, it is too early to write a verdict. At this point of time, it’s quite impossible to say whether Google Pixel Buds are good or they are bad. But one thing is very clear that selling the headphones to iOS users will be very problematic for Google. We can’t even consider the headphones as a real AirPods competitor because the company has made the headphones primarily for the phones releasing under its own brand. For updates, all the Google Pixel Buds users will have to connect their headphone to an Android phone because the future updates will be pushed to Android devices only.
Staff Writer; Corey Shaw
Have any Tech Tips? News? Hit up our Tech Guru at; CoreyS@ThyBlackMan.com
