Pixel Buds/ Google Assistant-powered headphones

BMox81 said:
Haha, literally can’t take the fella seriously when it comes to his posts can you?
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I'm guessing that the price, build quality, sound quality, fit, finish, battery life and charging time will all be just right; there will be absolutely no problems with them, and that you should definitely go out and buy them.
 
Btone said:
anyone know how well these will work with the pixel, or are they only for pixel 2
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Yes, to use Pixel Buds as a headphone, all you need is a Bluetooth enabled companion device running Android 5.0 or higher (current version is 8.0) or running iOS 10 or higher.

To use with Google Assistant, you need an Assistant enabled, the Google App(7.14 or higher), Android 6.0 or higher, a Google account and a data connection.

However, and this is what you might have been thinking about, to use Google Translate you need Pixel or Pixel 2, the most up to date version of Google Translate app and the Google App (7.14 or higher).

So the answer to your question on all counts is yes.

I will take delivery of my Pixel Buds in a week or so and will let you know my impressions.

Hope that helps.
 
Wired review... Ouch.

That's a proper kicking there, and exactly what I feared, not to mention I couldn't physically wear them in the same way I couldn't wear AirPods or their wired equivalent. Reads like a trashing of the whole idea, and bit just Google's arguably poor 1st Gen delivery...
 
whiskycycle said:
Wired review... Ouch.

That's a proper kicking there, and exactly what I feared, not to mention I couldn't physically wear them in the same way I couldn't wear AirPods or their wired equivalent. Reads like a trashing of the whole idea, and bit just Google's arguably poor 1st Gen delivery...
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I appreciate that you have concluded that Pixel Buds are not for you, much like the author of the Wired article concluded the same for him.

However the Wired writer omits one key point. He believes that nothing can change or improve on the version 1 Pixel Buds.

His opening para gives away his point of view about Pixel Buds. To wit, he asks whether he wants a "smart voice assistant in your ear" and he answers no. Wut? Why buy the product or review it if that is not one of the reasons to own it?

He says that they are not good wireless headphones yet apart from telling us that they do not fit comfortably into his ears (are his ears that difficult to fit?), he does not discuss the sound quality with any authority. Wut? Review a wireless headphone and not talk about sound output?

Other things to nitpick with the reviewer:

....that he does not see the need for a voice assisted headphone as he is just as happy to reach into his pocket all the time and achieve the same result with his phone. Wut? I can think of a number of instances where I would prefer a voice assisted headphone, esp when my hands were busy doing something else (cooking, driving, etc).

.....that he was frustrated he could not send a What's App message to Susanna successfully. Could it be because initially Google wants to concentrate on its messaging app or the equivalent on the iPhone rather than Facebook's? Could a software update sooner rather than later fix this problem with Google working behind the scenes with Facebook to get a fix? Perhaps he could have tried sending either a text or a Google Hangout first to see if that worked? As a Pixel owner, I know about software OTA updates to improve performance but he simply ignores this possibility. Why?

....he appears to be more concerned about being seen as a moron using his voice in public than appreciating that voice activation of devices also in public is a growing phenomenon.

.....his criticism of Google Translate seems half-hearted. Did he actually test the feature or just pull out his comment from thin air? I could not tell.

.....the "hoops" he has to jump through with the "user interface" seems to suggest he is not a fan of Google Assistant in general and Google Home in particular. I assume that what works well for me in my communication to date on GA and GH will work well on Pixel Buds. You could say I understand the interface well now as I have been using GA/GH for many months now, both at home (with a number of smart home apps), office and outside in public. It really is not that difficult to do. But it seems he has been unable to crack this simple task.

.....he makes a big point of the fact that the other reviews he read have all been written by males and not females. The implication being that the Pixel Buds design and implementation could have used a woman's input. Does he actually know the design team and engineering team at Google that created this product? Or is his knowledge of the input based solely on who presented the product prior to launch at Google I/O?

So bottom line: I appreciate yours and his concerns but I will test them myself starting with delivery next week and see how easy or difficult they are to use and what pleasure I derive from them before deciding how relevant his concerns really are. And I will be especially interested in the sound quality too.
 
Would still like to try them, but headphones etc. and cleanliness. Bought a pair of Jaybird X3 for now, and they do the job, although not as good audio quality as the RHA set I've got.

The Linus Tech Tips review was a reasonable inbetween I thought, plus I'd like to see a few more reviews and see what comes out.
 
whiskycycle said:
Wired review... Ouch.

That's a proper kicking there, and exactly what I feared, not to mention I couldn't physically wear them in the same way I couldn't wear AirPods or their wired equivalent. Reads like a trashing of the whole idea, and bit just Google's arguably poor 1st Gen delivery...
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More thoughts:

Reading that music playing is the most used feature of smart voice assistants (Google Assistant and Google Home) and in view of Google's keen interest in spreading smart voice assistants to every Android device, the idea of Google coming out with its smart headphone Pixel Buds make huge sense. I see them heavily committed to making Pixel Buds an important product line, whether you believe the first iteration is good enough or not to justify a £ 159 price point.

Gartner predicts that in one year, 30% of our interactions with technology will be through "conversations" with smart machines. Think about that. It is a really startling stat. So considering the author of the Wired article you posted worries about appearing like a dork interacting with his smart headphones, I believe that if the Gartner prediction is close to correct, his concern will be overcome by social norms.

Google's plans with music and particularly with the newly-announced YouTube Music Streaming to be launched in a few months makes the Pixel Buds a must-have and must-supported offering for music use alone, by Google.

In March, an Edison Research survey showed that 15% of people who think it's important to keep up with music most frequently used YouTube to do it -- more than any other single source besides friends, family and traditional radio. Nearly three-quarters of people between 12 and 25 said they'd used YouTube for music in the last week. A huge audience is already there, and already hooked. For example, the video for Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee's song " Despacito" became YouTube's most-watched of all time earlier this year.

Will they find Pixel Buds a useful means to play their music and interact with the increasingly smart Google Assistant?
 
String said:
Which model is that?
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750i set, not massively "audiophile", but great sound (to my ears), the isolation's good for me, and they're comfortable in a way the AirPods and Pixel Bud style 'phones will _never_ be. Flipped and flopped Android and iPhone a couple of times a from the 4S through to the 6 and have never used any of the headphones that come with the phones, on account of them being rubbish (for me). Had a 450i set first from RHA, then moved to the 750i, although I've resisted the wireless version when I got the P2.

Also, "Ok Google, LMGTFY"
 
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Glad I ordered my Clearly White (to match my Panda 2 XL) Pixel Buds from the Google Play Store UK a couple of weeks ago, as my delivery date is in two days on 13 December. I ordered them a couple of weeks ago and now the estimated delivery time has slipped to 3 to 4 weeks if ordered today.
 
I was excited to read about them, but having read the reviews I'll wait for the next version. No noise isolation (train and tube commute to work are pretty noisy at times) and accidentally triggering it when putting them in and taking them out are deal breakers fit me.
 
ahar said:
I was excited to read about them, but having read the reviews I'll wait for the next version. No noise isolation (train and tube commute to work are pretty noisy at times) and accidentally triggering it when putting them in and taking them out are deal breakers fit me.
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Funny how different folks have different needs. As for the idea that I would want complete noise cancellation in London when out and about, that would be a potential hazard for me. I walk and ride a bicycle and want to be alert to vehicles such as cars and buses and need to be able to hear them. I know that means it is a compromise to absolute quality sound but the reality is that I would not feel safe unless I could hear the nearby vehicle.

For absolute quality, I am looking forward to the upgrade to my home sound. I currently have a Google Home and would like to buy a Google Home Max for a sound upgrade.
 
deuse said:
From your link.

"The rest of us can probably find better Bluetooth buds elsewhere — or wait for the Pixel Buds to get a price cut in the coming months."

They should be called Google BETA Buds ;)
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Or, perish the thought, Nexus Buds, to infer their "still effectively a beta/test product" status!
 
sesevans said:
I know that means it is a compromise to absolute quality sound but the reality is that I would not feel safe unless I could hear the nearby vehicle.
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Less about sound quality really, more about being able to hear what people are saying on podcasts. Properly in ear buds block out much of the outside noise ( my hearing is okay but not great) - these ones it seems sit on the outside of the ear canal (bit like Apple earphones and others ) and I'd need to turn it up to a volume that would annoy others nearby to hear it.
 
My Clearly White (Panda) Pixel Buds are out for delivery today and I am expecting them shortly!

They are currently listed as out of stock on the Google Play Store UK. Demand must be strong.

Will post my comments after set up and use over coming days.
 
ahar said:
Less about sound quality really, more about being able to hear what people are saying on podcasts. Properly in ear buds block out much of the outside noise ( my hearing is okay but not great) - these ones it seems sit on the outside of the ear canal (bit like Apple earphones and others ) and I'd need to turn it up to a volume that would annoy others nearby to hear it.
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My Panda/Penguin white/black Pixel Buds arrived today and after charging them with the USB-C charger provided in the box (same as the charger for the Pixel 2 XL), I turned on Bluetooth on my Pixel 2 XL, opened the Pixel Bud charging case (a really nice grey charcoal, felt-lined box) the Android Fast Pair appeared on my Panda phone display screen and followed the on-screen steps to finish the set up. Nothing could have been easier. It takes you through the Google Assistant set up on the Buds. All the magic happens in the right ear bud, while the left ear bud in simply for the battery. The right ear bud allows for touch controls to play, pause, answer calls, get updates from your Google Assistant, talk to the Assistant, end a call and swipe forward and back to turn the volume up and down.

The loops at the end of each bud fit neatly/snuggly into my ear and are comfortable. I asked Google Assistant a few questions and the sound quality on the response was excellent. I asked the Assistant to play a variety of music and the sound was clear and the quality was excellent. The volume adjustments allowed me to hear the music clearly, also in a reasonably busy London street. The snug fit seems to keep the noise away from any bystander because I had no reaction to any noise from the Buds. I even turned up the volume to check and no one said a word, so the sound must be well-contained.

For those interested, I met up with a Spanish speaking friend and we tested the Google Translate Pixel Bud feature. I spoke English and the Pixel 2 app translated my English to Spanish extremely well. He spoke Spanish and the English voice in my Pixel Buds instantly translated it to English. Wow! You of course need to have the Google Translate app downloaded on your phone which pairs to your Buds.

Will play around with the Pixel Buds for a few more days but my first impressions were extremely positive. For sound quality, which I appreciate for you is not as important as volume, it was excellent. The trebles and basses sounded great to my ear.

Glad I ordered these Pixel Buds early as the Panda Buds are currently out of stock on the Play Store. The Black buds are listed as 2-3 week delivery time. I wanted to match the design on the Buds to my Panda phone.
 
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