It’s been a long time since we’ve had an update to the Pixel Buds A-series, but the new Google Pixel Buds 2a earbuds come with upgrades that are actually useful, such as the addition of active noise cancellation (ANC), multipoint connectivity and better sound thanks to an upgraded acoustic design.
Smaller and more comfortable
Design-wise, there’s very little change. Folks familar with how Pixel Buds look like will recognise them immediately. The case itself is shorter and wider, making it nicer to hold in the hand. There’s a pairing button on the rear, and a USB-C port for charging at the bottom.
Fits securely in the ear thanks to the stabiliser fin.
Photo: HWZ
The earbuds feature a twist-to-adjust ear tips similar to that which we’ve seen on the Pixel Buds Pro 2, and it works well at securing the buds when worn. While they are also smaller than before, Google has managed to improve battery life up to 7 hours in the earbuds with ANC on, and a total of 20 hours when including the case.
There’s still no wireless charging for the case, so you’ll have to plug in a cable to charge.
Replaceable batteries… just not by you
The replaceable battery for the charging is a major step forward, on paper. In reality, having to buy the battery replacement makes it hard to appreciate the easy-replace feature.
You’ll need a Torx screwdriver to open the case up.
Photo: HWZ
We tried removing the battery by ourselves, and it was a simple process. All you need is a Torx screwdriver, and the fingers to remove the inner charging slot. Once you unscrew the two screws in the cavity, you get a pull tab that lets you pull out the battery. Once you chuck in a new battery, you do the steps in reverse to put the case together again.
The whole process was incredibly fuss-free, and we thought it was excellent.
