Google has taken the wraps off Pixel Buds A-Series, its latest entry in the wireless earbuds space. This is the third entry in the Pixel Buds lineup, and for some shoppers, A-Series could be the best offering yet.
The Pixel Buds journey began in 2017 with the first-generation Pixel Buds. They were Bluetooth earbuds with good battery life and a unique design, but in a world where true wireless earbuds were really coming into their own, the Pixel Buds' use of a cable connecting both ends felt immediately dated. Pixel Buds returned in 2020 with the second-gen version, with Google finally adopting a true wireless form factor. For the most part, Pixel Buds 2 knocked it out of the park. The design was vastly improved, wireless charging was added to the included case, and audio quality was noticeably better.
A little over a year later, Google has returned with Pixel Buds A-Series. They look a lot like Pixel Buds 2 at first glance, though there is one key thing that makes A-Series stand out — the price. Where Pixel Buds 2 retail for a hefty $179, Pixel Buds A-Series are available for just $99. That's a price difference of 45 percent, but somehow, A-Series manages to offer a nearly identical experience as its more expensive sibling.
Pixel Buds A-Series Are A Cheaper Version Of Regular Pixel Buds
Design-wise, Pixel Buds 2 and Pixel Buds A-Series are almost indistinguishable. The charging case is the same oval-like shape, the top opens to house the earbuds when they aren't in use, and a USB-C port on the bottom is used for charging. Outside of different color options and a slightly different placement of the LED charging indicator, everything else is the same. That said, there are a couple of downgrades that aren't immediately apparent. Pixel Buds A-Series do not offer wireless charging or water resistance for the case — two features found on Pixel Buds 2.
Looking at the earbuds themselves, Google made a couple of cuts here as well. Compared to Pixel Buds 2, Pixel Buds A-Series don't support wind reduction during phone calls, swipe gestures for volume control, or Attention Alerts (a feature that can alert users if the earbuds detect a barking dog, crying baby, and other sounds). Everything else, however, is identical. Pixel Buds A-Series have the same 12mm drivers for great audio quality, up to 5 hours of listening time, 24 hours of total battery life with the included charging case, and come with hands-free Google Assistant. In regards to core features, it's effectively the same experience offered by Pixel Buds 2.
Because of all that, Pixel Buds A-Series immediately stand out as one of the most compelling earbud options in their price range. In fact, for shoppers that don't care about wireless charging or not having on-device volume control, it's now hard to justify buying Pixel Buds 2 at all. Pixel Buds A-Series deliver 90 percent of the same experience for nearly half the price, and that's a proposition that's hard to ignore. Pre-orders are open now and normal sales begin June 17.
Source: Google