Samsung’s latest wireless earbuds look nearly identical to Apple’s AirPods family, a clear rebuke of the stemless designs the company had used in the past. However, new leaked images of Google’s yet-to-be-unannounced Pixel Buds Pro 2 show that Google is not only sticking with its button-like earbud shape but it’s also bringing back a version of the stability wing that it used on its first-gen fully wireless product.
The leaked images come from two sources. The first appears to be an Amazon product listing from Spigen — a company that makes phone cases and other mobile accessories — that went live on the retailer’s website before being quickly pulled. The main image, as spotted by 9to5Google, shows a transparent protective shell for the Pixel Buds Pro and, most relevantly, the Pro 2 charging case.
The image not only shows the new Pixel Buds Pro 2 sitting in their charging case but it also confirms one of the many unknowns surrounding Google’s next earbuds: The charging case will preserve the same dimensions as the current Pixel Buds Pro.
The second leak comes courtesy of Android Headlines, which boasts that it has an exclusive collection of photos showing the Pixel Buds Pro 2’s four color options. Strangely, the leak report mentions the charging case in a way that contradicts the Spigen product listing: “the case is going to be a little bit more bulky versus the original model.”
Other than the new colors, the return of the stability wing, and the case dimensions, these leaks show two more visible changes: The perforated grilles on the earbuds are now color-matched instead of being black, and the bottom of the charging case appears to have a small opening next to the USB-C charging port. It could be a lanyard connection point, or more likely, a small speaker for feedback sounds, similar to what Apple did on the AirPods Pro 2.
