Google unveils wireless Pixel Buds A-Series Airpods competitor for $99

AppleInsider

Google has announced the Pixel Buds A-Series wireless earbuds, the company's latest attempt at the wireless audio market -- one that undercuts Apple's cheapest AirPods by $60.

Credit: Google

The Pixel Buds A-Series are Google's cheapest Pixel Buds yet at $99. For that price, however, Google says that users will get about the same sound quality as the 2020 Pixel Buds.

In addition to good audio and a cheaper price tag, the Pixel Buds A-Series sport a new design that includes a "gentle seal" and a spatial vent for normalizing in-ear pressure. There are also beam-forming microphones for clearer audio calls and Google Assistant built-in.

Unlike Apple's more expensive AirPods Pro, the Pixel Buds A-Series don't have active noise cancellation. Instead, Google has added a so-called Adaptive Sound feature that will automatically adjust headphone volume based on an environment's ambient noise levels.

The Pixel Buds A-Series are said to last about five hours on a charge, and pack an additional 24 hours of battery life in their charging case. They're IPX4 rated for water-resistance, meaning they can be worn in the rain or during sweaty workouts.

For iPhone users, the Pixel Buds don't offer the same level of tight integration with the Apple ecosystem. However, they are cheaper than competing products on the market and could signal that a wireless earbud price war could be on the horizon.

Apple is reportedly working on a new generation of AirPods that could combine elements of both AirPods and AirPods Pro. Past rumors suggest that the so-called "AirPods Pro Lite" will focus on minor refinements and changes.

The $99 Pixel Buds A-Series come in white or dark olive. They're currently available for preorder and will begin shipping out to customers on June 17.

Follow all of WWDC 2021 with comprehensive AppleInsider coverage of the week-long event from June 7 through June 11, including details on new launches and updates.

Stay on top of all Apple news right from your HomePod. Say, "Hey, Siri, play AppleInsider," and you'll get latest AppleInsider Podcast. Or ask your HomePod mini for "AppleInsider Daily" instead and you'll hear a fast update direct from our news team. And, if you're interested in Apple-centric home automation, say "Hey, Siri, play HomeKit Insider," and you'll be listening to our newest specialized podcast in moments.

sagan_student

Time and time again, Apple nails the design and usage aspect of each product they put out. Obviously there are always a few examples where people could disagree, but this is definitely not one of them. 

waveparticle

Where are these 

Pixel Buds made? My guess is Taiwan. 

k2kw

sagan_student said:

Time and time again, Apple nails the design and usage aspect of each product they put out. Obviously there are always a few examples where people could disagree, but this is definitely not one of them. 

I expect this to be ignored after a couple years like most google hardware projects.

lkrupp

How would these companies produce any products if not for taking the lead from Apple’s designs? Even the Android engineers knew that had to start over when the first iPhone was announced. 

Beats

This is embarrassing!

sagan_student said:

Time and time again, Apple nails the design and usage aspect of each product they put out. Obviously there are always a few examples where people could disagree, but this is definitely not one of them. 

“How else is a computer/software/laptop/phone/earbud/tablet/watch/wireless earbud/speaker supposed to be designed?!!!!???!”

-iKnockoff morons

kiowavt

Tight integration??  My AirPods now constantly jump to the wrong device when about to or even when using.  They also disconnect.  I loved them, but they got so smart using the H1 that they are no longer used during my work day.  And yes, software up to date and I read the Apple Insider article on how to mitigate this.  But the AirPods did not listen.  

fastasleep

kiowavt said:

Tight integration??  My AirPods now constantly jump to the wrong device when about to or even when using.  They also disconnect.  I loved them, but they got so smart using the H1 that they are no longer used during my work day.  And yes, software up to date and I read the Apple Insider article on how to mitigate this.  But the AirPods did not listen.  

So take them in. They're clearly not supposed to behave that way, especially if you've turned off device switching. Mine work just fine.

jungmark

I wonder if they’ll randomly play ads every 15 minutes or send what your listening to back to google. 

gatorguy

lkrupp said:

How would these companies produce any products if not for taking the lead from Apple’s designs? 

Pixel Buds look nothing like any Apple product, and include some features not available on Airpods. No idea what Pixel Bud design cues you think were stolen from Apple. Can you give us a hint at what design feature you're referring to? 

waveparticle

gatorguy said:

lkrupp said:

How would these companies produce any products if not for taking the lead from Apple’s designs? 

Pixel Buds look nothing like any Apple product, and include some features not available on Airpods. No idea what Pixel Bud design cues you think were stolen from Apple. Can you give us a hint at what design feature you're referring to? 

Can you show any products before AirPods which put the receiver in a pod for charging? 

canucklehead

This is a good thing. It really shouldn’t matter what Google chooses to do here. Copy Apple? Don’t copy Apple? Hopefully, this will drive the prices of Apple wireless earbuds down. Let’s face it, they are great but they are also a bit over priced.

gatorguy

waveparticle said:

gatorguy said:

lkrupp said:

How would these companies produce any products if not for taking the lead from Apple’s designs? 

Pixel Buds look nothing like any Apple product, and include some features not available on Airpods. No idea what Pixel Bud design cues you think were stolen from Apple. Can you give us a hint at what design feature you're referring to? 

Can you show any products before AirPods which put the receiver in a pod for charging? 

Ah, so that's the "design cue"? If that's the best you could come up with you made my point. 

mubaili

When it is on sale for $59 I will get one. It is inspired by Apple's AirPods design with its own take that I can respect. Apple copy ideas from Android too but with its own take as well so those are copies we can respect. 

MplsP

kiowavt said:

Tight integration??  My AirPods now constantly jump to the wrong device when about to or even when using.  They also disconnect.  I loved them, but they got so smart using the H1 that they are no longer used during my work day.  And yes, software up to date and I read the Apple Insider article on how to mitigate this.  But the AirPods did not listen.  

Apple added an auto connect feature for AirPods with ios 14 that is far from perfect. You can disable it and go back to manually switching the device connection with your AirPods. I suspect you’ll be a lot happier. 

KITA

waveparticle said:

gatorguy said:

lkrupp said:

How would these companies produce any products if not for taking the lead from Apple’s designs? 

Pixel Buds look nothing like any Apple product, and include some features not available on Airpods. No idea what Pixel Bud design cues you think were stolen from Apple. Can you give us a hint at what design feature you're referring to? 

Can you show any products before AirPods which put the receiver in a pod for charging? 

Samsung Gear Iconx (2016) - Samsung's first truly wireless earbuds



Onkyo W800BT (2015) - If I'm not mistaken, these are the first truly wireless earbuds



Motorola Moto Hint (2014) - this one was actually put to market as a wireless headset