AirPods Pro 2 vs Google Pixel Buds Pro 2

Apple announced AirPods Pro 2 on 7 September 2022 and moved them to a USB-C case in 2023, still at $249. Google announced Pixel Buds Pro 2 on 13 August 2024 and had them on shelves from 26 September 2024. Two years apart, they ended up alike on paper: a sealed fit with four tip sizes, noise cancellation and IP54-rated buds. Neither has the workout heart-rate sensor, foam tips or IP57 rating of Apple’s newer AirPods Pro 3.

AirPods Pro 2 and Pixel Buds Pro 2 side by side

Spec	AirPods Pro 2	Google Pixel Buds Pro 2
Announced	7 September 2022; USB-C case in 2023	13 August 2024
US price	$249 at launch	$229 list
Full features on	Apple devices	Android 6.0 or newer, with a Google Account
Chip	H2 in the buds; U1 in the USB-C case	Tensor A1 in each bud
Driver	Custom high-excursion driver; size not published	11mm dynamic driver
Noise cancellation	Active Noise Cancellation with Adaptive Audio	Silent Seal 2.0 with Adaptive Audio
Hearing features	Hearing Test, Hearing Aid, Hearing Protection, Loud Sound Reduction	Hearing Wellness, Loud Noise Protection
Listening, noise cancellation on	Up to 6 hours	Up to 8 hours
Tips	XS, S, M, L	XS, S, M (fitted), L; twist-to-adjust stabilizer
Weight, one bud	5.3 g	4.7 g with a medium tip
Bud size	30.9 × 21.8 × 24.0 mm	Listed as 25.0 × 49.9 × 63.3 mm, the same as the case
Case	50.8 g; 45.2 × 60.6 × 21.7 mm; speaker and lanyard loop	65.0 g with the earbuds inside; 49.9 × 63.3 × 25.00 mm; speaker
Wireless charging	MagSafe, Apple Watch charger or Qi	Qi
Dust and water	IP54, buds and case	IP54 buds; IPX4 case
Bluetooth	5.3	5.4; pairs with Bluetooth 4.0 or later
Codec list	Not published	Not published
Finding a lost case	U1 chip and speaker	Speaker; no ultra-wideband

iPhone or Android settles most of it

AirPods Pro 2 do their best work with a current Apple operating system. They switch between your devices on one Apple Account, Personalized Spatial Audio needs an iPhone with a TrueDepth camera, and the hearing features need supported software versions.

On an iPhone, Pixel Buds Pro 2 are basic Bluetooth earbuds. Their full features need a Google Account and Android 6.0 or newer. That gets you the Pixel Buds app, with firmware updates, a 5-band EQ and Hearing Wellness, and Gemini, which depends on your account and region. Spatial audio with head tracking needs a Pixel 6 or newer (not the A-series) or a Pixel Tablet, plus content that supports it. Google says the buds can move between your devices, but it doesn’t say whether they connect to two at once.

Noise cancellation: two names, no shared measure

Apple calls its system Pro-level Active Noise Cancellation with Adaptive Audio and says it cancels up to 2× as much noise as the first AirPods Pro and as AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation. Google calls its version Silent Seal 2.0 and says it cancels up to twice as much as the previous Pixel Buds Pro, adapting up to 3 million times a second. Each company measures against its own older buds and gives no decibel figure, so the two can’t be ranked against each other.

When you want to hear what’s around you, AirPods Pro 2 have Transparency, Conversation Awareness and Personalized Volume, and Pixel Buds Pro 2 have Transparency, Adaptive Audio and Conversation Detection.

Battery: Pixel Buds Pro 2 go longer between charges

Mode	AirPods Pro 2	Google Pixel Buds Pro 2
Noise cancellation on	Up to 6 hours	Up to 8 hours
Noise cancellation off	Not published	Up to 12 hours
Spatial Audio with head tracking	Up to 5.5 hours	Not published
Lossless audio with Apple Vision Pro	Up to 4 hours	Not published
With the case, noise cancellation on	Up to 30 hours	Up to 30 hours
With the case, noise cancellation off	Not published	Up to 48 hours
Quick charge	5 minutes for about an hour	5 minutes for about 1.5 hours with noise cancellation off; 15 minutes for about 3 hours

Pixel Buds Pro 2 run two hours longer on the buds with noise cancellation on. With the case, the two end up level at 30 hours in that mode, though each company tests its own way. Apple’s figures assume AAC playback at 50 percent volume with noise cancellation on.

Fit, the case and calls

Both come with four tip sizes, extra small to large. Google fits the medium at the factory and adds a twist-to-adjust stabilizer that you rotate for a tighter or looser seat.

The AirPods Pro 2 USB-C case weighs 50.8 grams and charges on MagSafe, an Apple Watch charger or Qi. It has a speaker, a lanyard loop and a U1 chip to help you find it, and Apple puts a USB-C cable in the box. The Pixel case weighs 65.0 grams with the earbuds inside and charges on Qi; it has a speaker so you can make it ring when it goes missing, but no ultra-wideband chip. Google’s box holds the buds, the case, the tips and a quick start guide, with no cable listed.

On the stem, AirPods Pro 2 take a press, a double-press, a triple-press and a hold, plus a swipe for volume. For calls they use dual beamforming microphones, an inward-facing microphone and Voice Isolation; Pixel Buds Pro 2 use three microphones per bud.

Pixel Buds Pro 2 come in Porcelain, Olive, Peony and Hazel on Google’s store, though Google’s 2024 announcement listed Wintergreen instead of Olive. The AirPods Pro 2 case is white.

Buying AirPods Pro 2 used

AirPods Pro 2 came in two versions. The 2022 original has a Lightning MagSafe case: buds A2931, A2699 and A2698, case A2700. The 2023 version has a USB-C case: buds A3047, A3048 and A3049, case A2968. Apple’s battery figures and IP54 rating are for the USB-C model, so check the model number before you pay for a used pair.

Price

AirPods Pro 2 launched at $249, and the USB-C version kept that price in 2023. Google listed Pixel Buds Pro 2 at $229, and on 19 September 2026 its store had them marked down to $189. Sale prices don’t last, so compare both stores on the day you buy.