As we inch closer to the spring release of Google’s second-generation Pixel Buds, a newly discovered document gives us a little more insight into what to expect from the latest entry into the true wireless earbuds war.
A wireless charging certification document for the Pixel Buds 2 (officially known as Pixel Buds) has recently been spotted. The listing for the new Pixel Buds with the Wireless Power Consortium revealed the device’s wireless charging speed, at 5W. That’s not necessarily impressive, but it should be enough for a set of earbuds.
This isn’t a groundbreaking discovery by any means, given that Google already announced a wireless charging case would be part of the package, and that most wireless buds these days come with that feature. What it does, however, is indicate that the Pixel Buds 2 may nearly be ready for their debut.
Google originally announced the buds on October 15, in conjunction with the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL, Pixelbook Go, Nest Wi-Fi, and Nest Mini. A specific release date wasn’t disclosed, but Google’s annual I/O conference in May would have been as safe a bet as any.
It would have been, except for the fact that Google has officially canceled the event over concern of the coronavirus. Still, we expect that the Pixel Buds 2 will be released along a similar timeline, albeit with a different style of announcement.
The Pixel Buds 2 are expected to be a complete departure from the original Pixel Buds. The first-generation buds were connected to each other via a wire, making the move to true wireless a significant step up. The Pixel Buds 2 will also come with voice-activated Google Assistant, better Bluetooth capabilities, and five hours of battery life on a single charge.
Whenever it comes out, Google’s new Pixel Buds will be a direct competitor with the Apple AirPods and the Samsung Galaxy Buds+, among other options. Priced at $179, Google sandwiched its buds smack dab in between the Galaxy Buds+ ($149) and AirPods ($199), possibly strategically so. We’ve already started speculating on how they’ll stack up, but we’ll have to wait until we get a pair ourselves to make a definitive call.
