Pixel Buds 2a arrive with Pixel Buds Pro 2 features at a lower price

Google has announced the Pixel Buds 2a as the successors to the Pixel Buds A-series released in 2021. The new pair of earbuds brings a lot of upgrades, some of which have been brought over from the higher-end Pixel Buds Pro 2, albeit with a price increase.

For the Pixel Buds 2a, Google has designed them to look more like the Pixel Buds Pro 2 (curr available on Amazon for $199) as the earbuds now have twist-to-adjust stabilizers for better fit and improved comfort, and wind-blocking mesh covers. The revised design of the earbuds lead to a slight change in the design of the charging case, too.

In terms of features, the IP54-rated Pixel Buds 2a now have active noise cancellation unlike the Pixel Buds A-series. They also have Silent Seal like the Pixel Buds Pro 2 but it is version 1.5 whereas the Buds Pro 2 have Silent Seal 2.0. Another feature Google has brought from its pro earbuds is the Tensor A1 chip which apparently processes sound faster and allows for better noise cancellation.

The Pixel Buds 2a earbuds also have a transparency mode and spatial audio but lack the Pixel Buds Pro 2's conversation detection, head tracking, low-latency gaming mode, and Adaptive Audio features. There are two microphones per earbud but they are not beamforming microphones and lack a voice accelerometer.

As expected, the Pixel Buds 2a have hands-free access to Gemini Live, real-time translation, and Bluetooth Multipoint. Google also states that they have Bluetooth Super Wideband which uses a larger bandwidth for sounds to result in clearer and more natural-sounding voices. This feature requires a Pixel 8 and newer Pixel smartphone.

The Pixel Buds 2a have a battery life of 7 hours with ANC and 10 hours without ANC. The total battery life with the case goes up to 20 hours with ANC and 27 hours without ANC. The case, which has an IPX4 rating, lacks support for wireless charging but has a speaker so you can hear it when you ring it using Find Hub. Other features of the earbuds are support for Fast Pair, in-ear detection, touch controls (no volume controls), and compatibility with Android, iOS, and Windows.

Available in Iris and Hazel, the Pixel Buds 2a are available to pre-order now for $129 in the US, £129 in the UK, and €149 in Europe. However, they won't be available until October. The earbuds will ship with four pairs of eartips in the box.