Google Pixel Buds 2 rumoured to launch at Google event
Next generation Pixel Buds could be set to launch on 15 October
New leaked information has emerged claiming that the new Pixel Buds 2 will be launching at the Made By Google Event on 15 October, alongside the hotly anticipated – and heavily leaked – Google Pixel 4 and 4XL.
Leaks site 9to5Google reports that a source close to the brand has provided this new information. Unfortunately, this is all they’ve given away. The same cannot be said for the Google Pixel 4, which is also expected to launch on 15 October, and has become one of the most leaked phones of the year.
As specifications haven’t been released we’ll have to speculate on the improvements we’d like to see from the first-gen Buds. The overall consensus, from us and from other sites, is that there’s a lot to work on.
The Google Assistant features were ahead of their time, an attempt at merging a smart assistant and a pair of headphones which ended up feeling fussy and overly complicated. Whilst having your messages read to you was impressive, basic functions such as skipping songs and accepting calls had been overlooked. More painfully, the simple tap and swipe commands often overlapped, confusing the Buds.
We’d love to see a more streamlined integration of Google Assistant in the new model with emphasis on all of the necessary features, rather than just the novelty ones. Google has competition in this department that might serve to hurry it along; Amazon is launching a pair of Echo Buds with Alexa built in.
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Perhaps the most problematic of its issues, however, was the uncomfortable design. We felt the rubbery plastic coating became uncomfortable after long periods and its 14g weight was excessive considering they weren’t weighed down by noise-cancelling mics. Perhaps a switch to an in-ear design could be a clever move in the next-gen model or, failing this, simply a reduction in the product’s weight.
The Google event will be available to live stream on 15 October at 3pm UK time. Only time will tell whether this leak has any weight to it.