Google Pixel Buds Pro vs Google Pixel Buds Pro 2

Google announced Pixel Buds Pro on 11 May 2022 and took pre-orders from 21 July 2022 at $199. Pixel Buds Pro 2 followed on 13 August 2024 and reached shelves on 26 September 2024 at $229. The 2022 pair was already well equipped, with noise cancelling that adapts to your ear, Transparency, multipoint and wireless charging. Pro 2 keeps all of that and changes the chip, the fit and the battery.

Pro against Pro 2

Spec	Google Pixel Buds Pro	Google Pixel Buds Pro 2
Announced	11 May 2022; pre-order 21 July 2022	13 August 2024; on shelves 26 September 2024
US price	$199 at launch	$229 list; $189 on sale at the Google Store
Chip	Custom 6-core audio chip	Google Tensor A1 in each bud
Noise cancelling	Silent Seal	Silent Seal 2.0; up to twice as much, Google says
Listening modes at launch	Transparency; Volume EQ	Transparency, Adaptive Audio, Conversation Detection
Listening, ANC on	Up to 7 hours; 20 with the case	Up to 8 hours; 30 with the case
Listening, ANC off	Up to 11 hours; 31 with the case	Up to 12 hours; 48 with the case
Quick charge	Not published	5 minutes for about 1.5 hours (ANC off); 15 minutes for about 3 hours
Water and dust	Buds IPX4; case IPX2	Buds IP54; case IPX4
One bud	6.2 g with M tip; 22.3 × 22.0 × 23.7 mm	4.7 g with M tip
Case with buds	62.4 g; 25 × 50 × 63.2 mm	65.0 g; 49.9 × 63.3 × 25.00 mm
Fit	Tips	Tips XS, S, M, L; twist-to-adjust stabilizer
Microphones	Beamforming; no count given	Three per bud; Clear Calling; wind-blocking mesh
Bluetooth	5.0	5.4
Multipoint	Yes	Switches between devices, Google says
Case speaker	Not published	Find Hub ringtone speaker
Driver	Custom 11 mm dynamic	Custom 11 mm dynamic
Codecs	Not published	Not published
Colors	Coral, Lemongrass, Fog, Charcoal	Porcelain, Olive, Peony, Hazel

Tensor A1 and Silent Seal 2.0

The 2022 pair runs a custom 6-core audio chip. Pro 2 puts a Google Tensor A1 in each bud and brings Silent Seal 2.0, which Google says cancels up to twice as much noise as the first Pixel Buds Pro, across a wider range of frequencies, and adapts up to 3 million times a second. Pro 2 also lists two modes Google didn’t name at the 2022 launch: Adaptive Audio and Conversation Detection.

Both use a custom 11 mm dynamic driver, and Google adds a high-frequency chamber on Pro 2. Both also relieve pressure in your ear: the 2022 pair with in-ear pressure sensors, Pro 2 with what Google calls active in-ear pressure relief. Tensor A1 is hardware, so the older buds can’t get it in an update.

Battery: an hour more per charge, a lot more in the case

On the buds alone, Pro 2 runs up to 8 hours with noise cancelling on and 12 with it off, against 7 and 11 for the 2022 pair. That’s one more hour either way.

The case is the bigger change. With noise cancelling on, the totals go from 20 hours to 30; with it off, from 31 to 48, seventeen hours more. Pro 2 also tops up quickly: 5 minutes in the case gives about 1.5 hours of listening with noise cancelling off, and Google’s launch post says 15 minutes gives about 3 hours. All of these are Google’s “up to” figures, and real listening varies.

Lighter buds, a heavier case and a dust rating

Each Pro 2 bud weighs 4.7 grams with a medium tip, against 6.2 grams, and Google calls it 24 percent lighter and 27 percent smaller. The case goes the other way: with the buds inside, it’s 65.0 grams against 62.4. The 2022 bud measures 22.3 by 22.0 by 23.7 millimeters, its case 25 by 50 by 63.2, and the Pro 2 case 49.9 by 63.3 by 25.00.

Pro 2 adds a twist-to-adjust stabilizer and tips from extra small to large. If the 2022 pair never felt secure, that’s the fit change to look at.

The ratings went up too. The 2022 buds are IPX4, which Google says doesn’t make them waterproof, and the case is IPX2. Pro 2’s buds are IP54, adding dust protection, and its case is IPX4. Neither pair is made for swimming.

Calls, connections and finding the case

Pro 2 has three microphones per bud with Clear Calling and a wind-blocking mesh; Google described the 2022 pair’s microphones only as beamforming. Bluetooth moves from 5.0 to 5.4, and both pair with devices as old as Bluetooth 4.0.

Multipoint was on the 2022 pair from the start, for previously paired phones, laptops, tablets and TVs. Google says Pro 2 switches between devices too, though it doesn’t list multipoint as a yes-or-no spec.

Pro 2’s case has a speaker, so you can make it ring when you can’t find it; the 2022 case has none listed. Neither pair has ultra-wideband. Pro 2 is also sold with Gemini features, which depend on your account and region.

What carries over

Both cases charge over USB-C or on a Qi pad, both use capacitive tap and swipe controls, and both need Android 6.0 or newer for the full set of Google features; Pro 2 also needs a Google Account. Google promised spatial audio for the 2022 pair on compatible Pixel phones after launch. Pro 2 has spatial audio with head tracking on Pixel Tablet and Pixel 6 or newer, except A-series phones, in a compatible app.

Price

The 2022 pair launched at $199. Pro 2 lists at $229, and the Google Store has also sold it for $189. Some of Google’s store links for the first Pixel Buds Pro now lead to Pro 2, so check which generation is in your cart. Pro 2 comes in Porcelain, Olive, Peony and Hazel (Google’s launch post named Wintergreen rather than Olive), and the 2022 pair came in Coral, Lemongrass, Fog and Charcoal.

If you own the 2022 pair, upgrade only if you want the stronger noise cancelling or the lighter buds and twist-to-adjust fit. Store prices change often, so check the Google Store before you buy.