Google’s answer to AirPods, Pixel Buds, are finally available

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Google’s new, updated Pixel Buds are finally on sale, after being announced along with the Pixel 4 range last October. It’s not often that you see an upgrade that loses things from the prior model but gone is the wire that used to connect the two earbuds together. Yes, the Pixel Buds are finally true wireless.

Adding to that subtraction are new tricks in Bluetooth connectivity aimed at easing the pairing of the earbuds, as well as improving the stability of the connection. An upgraded version of Android Fast Pair is onboard, which works just like AirPods instant-pairing – open your Pixel Buds case near a phone running Android 6.0 or newer, and a notification will pop up asking if you want to pair.

Android 10 devices can also utilize Bluetooth connection to use with Find My Device, so you can find your Pixel Buds if you lose them. In addition, they’ve got always-on Google Assistant, and you get battery notifications for each earbud, and for the charging case as well.

Your voice calls are going to be just as crisp as the new colors the Pixel Buds come in, as new beamforming microphones are in each bud. There’s also a sensor that tracks your jaw movement, so the earbuds can better track your voice from the background noise. There’s one more trick with sound, Adaptive Sound will automatically adjust the volume depending on your surroundings.

You can grab the Clearly White colorway right now for $179 at the Google Store, or get on the waitlist for the other colors: Almost Black, Quite Mint, and Oh So Orange. They’ll also be available at Best Buy, AT&T, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular, Verizon, Walmart, and Target in early May.

What do you think? Interested in the Pixel Buds from Google? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.