What you need to know
- Google paints its Pixel Buds Pro with Bay and Porcelain colors.
- The Pixel Buds Pro also gets Bluetooth Super Wideband for better bandwidth during calls.
- The earbuds also now support Clear Calling and AI-powered Conversation Detection features.
While today's launch event is all about the Pixel 8 series and the Pixel Watch 2, last year's Pixel Buds Pro are also getting some neat updates alongside introducing two new colors: Bay and Porcelain.
These new hues add to the existing Coral, Fog, Charcoal, and Lemongrass colorways. The new addition of colors primarily complements the new Pixel 8 series and Pixel Watch 2, which are also available in Bay and Porcelain.
Aside from the colorways, a new software update to the Pixel Buds Pro brings support for Bluetooth Super Wideband, which promises to double the bandwidth for voice calls, making you sound "fuller and clearer." Additionally, the Buds Pro also gets Clear Calling support — introduced first on the Pixel 7 series — to make the other person's voice clearer by cutting down the external noise during the call.
For hearing wellness, the new update provides insights into how loud you've been listening to music over some time and further guides you to safe listening levels. On that note, the Pixel Buds app now supports Chromebooks too. Users can install the web-based app to customize earbuds, switch noise control modes, and install firmware updates.
The Pixel Buds Pro are also getting AI-powered enhancements, starting with Conversation Detection. If you are listening to music with ANC turned on, the earbuds detect your voice when you start talking, immediately pause your music, and switch to Transparency mode. Similarly, when it detects that you aren't speaking or having a conversation, the music resumes, and ANC gets enabled automatically.
Lastly, the Pixel Buds Pro are also getting a new low-latency mode as part of the latest update. It promises to cut the latency by half when you pair your earbuds with a Pixel phone and play a compatible game.
Pixel Buds Pro isn't getting a new hardware-based iteration this year. Instead, Google is making the current model better and better over time. Since its launch last year, the company has been adding features like a full five-band equalizer and spatial audio to improve the hearing experience.
