Noise cancellation and lengthy battery life are features in Google's new Pixel Buds Pro.

After numerous efforts at producing wireless earbuds, Google today unveiled the Pixel Buds Pro, its most expensive offering to date. The Pixel Buds Pro is a direct competitor to Apple's AirPods Pro, including active noise canceling, transparency mode, multi-point Bluetooth connectivity, and IPX4 water resistance, among other features. They'll be available for pre-order starting July 21st, alongside the Pixel 6A smartphone, and in shops a week later on July 28th.

The earphones and case are very identical to the 2020 Pixel Buds, and the Pro earbuds will be available in black, blue, green, or red. You'll notice more microphone inlets around the outside of these than prior Pixel Buds, and they're supposed to rest deeper in your ear canal than previous Pixel Buds.

Some people dislike the feeling of silicone tips in their ears, but it appears that Google has worked hard to make them as comfortable as possible for everyone. Sensors in the Pixel Buds Pro "detect the pressure in your ear canal so the earphones may actively relieve it and stay comfy." Micro-vent systems are used in other high-end earphones for similar objectives, but I don't recall ever seeing genuine sensors devoted to this function. Three sizes of ear tips will be included in the package, as is customary, but Google claims their own.“Silent Seal” software algorithms can “adapt to your ear, maximizing the amount of noise that’s canceled.

Google claims that the Pixel Buds Pro's hardware is entirely unique, from the six-core processor to the speakers to the algorithms that run on the earphones. Rick Osterloh, Google's senior vice president of devices and services, described them as "the greatest mobile audio hardware we've ever designed" during a recent media conference. Fast Pair will be available, as well as a new trick called Level EQ, which allows the earbuds to automatically tune audio throughout the frequency spectrum to provide full, rich sound at any volume.

The Pixel Buds Pro, like the AirPods Pro, is meant to transition between your most frequently used Android devices without forcing you to access any Bluetooth settings menus. On iOS, this "feature" is unreliable and annoying, so we'll have to wait and see how Google's version operates in July.

But, in addition to this "intelligent" audio switching, the Pixel Buds also feature Bluetooth multi-point, allowing you to connect to two audio sources at once. Multi-point is a common function on many wireless headphones, but in the realm of earbuds, the handy trick was previously reserved for Jabra devices. As wireless audio chips have advanced in recent years, providing multi-point to more devices, this has begun to alter.

According to Google, the Pixel Buds Pro will have long battery life. The business says that with active noise cancellation turned on, they can listen for up to seven hours and 11 hours, respectively.

Spatial audio head tracking is one feature of the AirPods Pro for which Google has yet to respond, but it is on the way. The startup expects to release its own head tracking technology later this year. The regular spatial audio music playing is supported by all earbuds and headphones, including the Pixel Buds Pro, but the experience does not vary when you move your head around.

The Pixel Buds Pro will allow hands-free Google Assistant voice commands, and the firm claims that noise reduction of background disturbances such as wind and traffic improves call quality. The earbuds themselves are water-resistant to IPX4, making them excellent for exercise, while the casing is water-resistant to IPX2.

Google's Pixel Buds Pro provides a lot of capabilities for a low price, beating Apple's AirPods Pro by $50. There won't be many people switching between the two: like with AirPods and the iPhone, Android users will get the greatest experience with the Pixel Buds Pro. These earphones are compatible with Apple products, however, there is no Pixel Buds app to alter settings or EQ, for example. For earbud ecosystem supremacy in the Android world, Google is truly squaring off against Samsung's Galaxy Buds portfolio.

So far, Google's track record with the Pixel Buds has been uneven. The 2020 earbuds had a lot of signal cuts and other issues. Later software upgrades addressed some (but not all) of those concerns. In terms of dependability, the newer, more economical Pixel Buds A-Series have performed better. Hopefully, the "Pro" earphones deliver on their promise of reliable performance.

Correction May 11th, 6:50 PM ET: The article originally stated that Volume EQ automatically adjusts the volume loudness of Pixel Buds Pro based on your surroundings. This is incorrect; Volume EQ optimizes the frequency curve as you change the volume to ensure a full sound. The other feature is known as Adaptive Sound, which the Pixel Buds Pro does not have. We regret the error.