Google Pixel Buds A Series is a thoughtfully designed and attractive-looking pair of true wireless earbuds. Though these earbuds more or less look the same and possess the same features, their cost is around $99, $80 which is quite cheaper than its earlier launched version.
This “A-Series” of Google usually belongs to its Pixel lineup of smartphones. These models of smartphones are normally suffixed with a lower-case “a.” This suggests more or less similar things offering the same experience as their counterparts but at a comparatively lower price point. Thus, these cannot be suggested as upgraded models to its previous ones as it loses some of the features instead of adding new to it. The “A” term stands for the affordability of the product offering a similar experience.
To get a general outlook on the Google Pixel Buds review, read on further.
Pros:
- Comes with hands-free Google Assistant
- Available at a comparatively lower price
- Excellent sound quality at this price
- The device comes with a compact charging case
- The design and sound is quite similar to Pixel Buds 2 but it is slightly less in terms of weight
- It is sweat-resistant and completely splash proof
- The call quality is excellent.
Cons:
- Its battery life is average
- Its features are not upgraded in comparison to its earlier model
- Absence of swipe controls for Volume Up/Down buttons.
- No wireless charging case
What Makes Google Pixel Buds A Series Different from its Variants?
Being built by the same manufacturer, both Google Pixel Buds A series and Google Pixel Buds have features specific to Android software. Though both these headsets are customized in an identical way, yet there are some differences between the two. Most importantly, A-series is much cheaper in comparison to its 2020 variant of earbuds.
Apart from this, there are a lot of features that are missing out in this brand new A-series, like Fast pair, Attention Alerts, and Qi-wireless charging. Except for these metrics, the performance expectations are quite apparent to its earlier model and functionally also they are quite close to each other.
Design
The looks of the Pixel Buds A-series are quite similar to its previous gen, but it comes with a new ‘stabilizer arc’ which ensures a protected seal against the user’s ear canal. Its egg-shaped charging case also looks similar except that there is the absence of wireless charging capabilities, which is a major miss. But this is necessarily not what we should expect from this budget-friendly device. The earbuds are available in a variety of colors that includes gray, white, and a more fetching olive green shade.
Audio Quality
There has not been any substantial change in the audio technology of the earbuds. So the Google Pixel Buds A Series delivers similar audio performance to its predecessors. It delivers an overall good sound quality with ample bass that offers decent clarity with a spark in the treble.
Though the Pixel Buds series does not offer any noise cancellation features, what remains instinctive in this model is its adaptive sound feature. This allows raising or lowering the volume of the music depending upon the surroundings.
Connectivity and Battery Life
When it comes to the battery life, no such improvement was made by Google in this new Google Pixel Buds A Series. It’s the same five hours from the earbuds with a further extension of 19 hours from the charging case.
Another significant feature of this device is that it supports quick charging. Only a charge of 15 minutes in the case provides you with a listening time of up to three hours. As far as connectivity is concerned, the A-series use Bluetooth 5 and supports Fast Pair Technology by Android. This makes the connection with any Android phone simple and easy.
Google Assistant
While considering this new Google Pixel Buds review, Google Assistant features are the ones that can’t be ignored. Like its previous variants, it offers you all its excellent features and that too in an improved way; for example, Google’s live translation feature. Hopefully, these features seamlessly work with the A-series, unlike its earlier models.
Having an access to innumerable Google Assistant features in the premium Google Pixel Buds A Series is undoubtedly a cool concept. By simply using your earbuds, one can have control of their smart home devices, set calendar reminders, and so on.
Thus, it has been noticed that despite a few hardware subtractions, there are no such differences in terms of performance. So, technically speaking, it is a more budget-friendly sibling of Google Pixel Buds 2020.
Final Takeaway
This next-gen Pixel Bud is for sure not an upgrade for those who own its previous variant, but it is a smart and affordable option for the audience, who want to avail these true-wireless earbuds.
Though there are a lot of competitors that deliver comparable performance and audio quality at near-about prices, like Samsung’s Galaxy Buds Plus, Amazon Echo Buds, Anker Liberty Air 2 Pro, none of these devices offers hands-free Google Assistant.
It depends upon the user as to what features or specifications they are prioritizing; however, this is a top pick for those Android users who are looking for quality earbuds at this price range. This Google Pixel Buds A Series is the most affordable Pixel model by Google that perfectly replicates the core user experience. In terms of feature-specificity, sustainability, affordability, and portability, this is an all-in-one package for Android users.
This A-series Google Pixel Buds is a firm recommendation for only Android users for its deep integration with Google Assistant and excellent audio quality. As this device does not well integrate with Apple devices, iPhone users should prefer AirPods for an ideal experience.