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Tag: Pixel Buds

  • Engadget review recap: New Pixel devices, Meta Ray-Ban Display, ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X and more

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    Techtober is a busy time for our reviews team as a deluge of new devices arrive before the holiday season. We’ve been hard at work conducting our in-depth testing, but it’s understandable if you missed a review or two over the last few weeks. Read on to catch up all the reviews you might’ve missed, including the latest trio of Google Pixel devices.

    Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold, Pixel Watch 4 and Pixel Buds 2a

    Google / Engadget

    It might not be super thin, but the Pixel 10 Pro Fold still has the best cameras of any flexible phone, slick software and now added durability thanks to the first IP68 rating on any foldable. 

    Pros

    • Great cameras
    • IP68 rating
    • Improved software and multitasking
    • Pixelsnap charging
    Cons

    • Big and heavy
    • Expensive
    • Lackluster high-end performance
    • No Pro Res Zoom

    $1,799 at Amazon

    Earlier this month, a trio of new Pixel devices arrived for us to put through their paces. The Pixel 10 Pro Fold headlines the group, but the Pixel Watch 4 and Pixel Buds 2a are also highly capable devices in their own categories. Senior reviews writer Sam Rutherford wrote that Google has removed one of the last remaining issues with foldable phones: durability. “The addition of proper dust and water resistance on the Pixel 10 Pro Fold has removed one of the last two shortcomings of modern foldables, which is no mean feat,” he said. However, at $1,799, the price barrier is still hard to overcome for most folks.”

    Meta Ray-Ban Display

    Image for the large product module

    Meta

    An exciting first-gen product, if you can get past the thick frames.

    Pros

    • Display is bright, clear and doesn’t feel overwhelming
    • Ability to preview and zoom in with the camera makes it way easier to frame shots
    • Visual feedback for Meta AI prompts is surprisingly helpful
    • Neural band is very accurate and reduces reliance on voice commands
    Cons

    • Frames are way too thick for most people’s comfort
    • Display is only compatible with a handful of apps
    • Text messages can be wonky

    More info at Meta

    The second-gen Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses may be the best option for most people right now, but the Meta Ray-Ban Display is the more exciting product for many. If you can get past the chunky look and in-progress features, you still have to contend with limited availability and a $800 price tag. “The Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses, on the other hand, still look very much like a first-gen product,” senior reporter Karissa Bell wrote. “There are some really compelling use cases for the display, but its functionality is limited.”

    ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X

    Image for the large product module

    ASUS/Engadget

    While its $1,000 price may be an obstacle, ASUS and Microsoft’s collaboration on the ROG Xbox Ally X has created a top-tier handheld with strong performance and better software than all of its Windows-based rivals.

    Pros

    • New full-screen Xbox experience
    • Strong performance
    • Bright screen
    • Solid battery life
    Cons

    • Expensive
    • Larger grips make it a bit bulky
    • Mediocre haptics

    $1,000 at Best Buy

    Microsoft’s collaboration with ASUS has produced a compelling gaming handheld that’s decidedly Xbox. The combination of familiar controls and a full-screen Xbox experience give this device an advantage over its Windows-based competition. “While Microsoft’s first real foray into PC gaming handhelds isn’t upending the status quo and it’s way too early to say if this gadget will save Xbox as a whole, it is bringing some notable advancements,” Sam said. “The new full-screen experience makes launching and playing games on Windows-based devices so much more seamless that it’s kind of wild it took so long to get here.”

    Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd gen)

    Image for the small product module

    Bose/Engadget

    The best noise-canceling headphones are even better with improved ANC, enhanced sound and more efficient power usage.

    Pros

    • Industry-leading ANC got even better
    • Sound and power upgrades are substantial
    Cons

    • Still expensive
    • Glossy finish isn’t for everyone

    $449 at Amazon

    Bose never leave the top few spots on our best noise canceling headphones list, but its refresh of the QC Ultra Headphones put the company firmly back in first place. Updates to active noise cancellation, sound performance, battery life and power management are enough to recommend this model over the previous version and the Sony WH-1000XM6. “Similar to the second-gen QC Ultra Earbuds over the summer, Bose didn’t make huge upgrades for the updated version of the QC Ultra Headphones,” I explained. “But what you do get here is a decent improvement over its predecessor.”

    Razer Blade 18 (2025)

    Image for the large product module

    Razer/Engadget

    The Blade 18 is a massive 18-inch gaming laptop with all of the power you’d want, alongside Razer’s excellent build quality. Just be prepared to pay a ton for it.

    Pros

    • Excellent performance
    • Effective cooling
    • Lovely 18-inch screen
    • Tons of ports
    • Great keyboard
    Cons

    • Ridiculously expensive
    • Much heavier than 16-inch laptops
    • No OLED or MiniLED

    $2,800 at Razer

    Razer’s massive 18-inch gaming laptop has impressive performance, but it’s size and limited battery life don’t offer a lot of convenience. “Personally, if I had to choose between Razer’s current lineup, I’d go with the Blade 16 so that I could actually carry it around and occasionally use it as a productivity machine,” senior reviews editor Devindra Hardawar wrote. “Not so with the Blade 18 — its short two hour and 17 minute battery life (in PCMark 10’s battery benchmark) means you’ll always need to lug around its beefy power adapter.”

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  • Pixel Buds Pro 2 get Adaptive Audio, gesture controls and more in latest update

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    Google first teased some enticing upgrades for its Pixel Buds Pro 2 during the Made by Google event in August. More than a month later, Google is finally rolling out the update that makes its wireless earbuds earn the Pro label.

    The Pixel Buds Pro 2 now get an Adaptive Audio feature in the Active Noise Control section of the Pixel Buds app. This ANC mode automatically adjusts the volume depending on your surrounding environment, balancing between hearing your music or podcasts and the world around you. If you want to drown out the outside world a little more, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 now also have the Loud Noise Protection feature, which can detect and reduce any sudden loud noises, like a passing ambulance siren or construction work. While these two features are already found in Apple’s AirPods Pro 3, they’re a welcome addition to the more affordable Pixel Buds Pro 2.

    For anyone who frequently uses Gemini Live, you’ll notice that the AI assistant will be able to hear you better in noisy environments thanks to advanced audio processing that prioritizes your voice and eliminates background noise. For a truly hands-free experience, the update even adds gesture controls that let Pixel Buds Pro 2 users nod their head to answer a call or start dictation for a text reply and shake their head to decline a call or dismiss a text. Google is rolling out its 4.467 update to its users gradually, which takes about 10 minutes to download and another 10 minutes to install.

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    Jackson Chen

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  • AirPods Pro 3 vs Pixel Buds Pro 2: Which Wireless Earbuds Are Better?

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    Apple’s AirPods Pro 3 are here, and with their arrival comes a lot of questions. One of the big questions after Apple’s annual iPhone event is, “Should I buy new AirPods right now?” But before you can answer that, it’s important to know the competition, and the main one is Google’s Pixel Buds Pro 2. While both bear the “Pro” moniker in their names, they’re not created equal, and small differences in features could have a big impact on which pair you ought to buy.

    If you’re wondering which trigger to pull, here’s a breakdown of which pair of wireless earbuds does what.

    See AirPods Pro 3 at Amazon

    See Pixel Buds Pro 2 at Amazon

    1) Sound

    © Adriano Contreras / Gizmodo

    While I haven’t gotten to hear Apple’s AirPods Pro 3 for myself yet, these wireless earbuds have a new architecture that Apple says should bring some improvements over the last generation. According to Apple, AirPods Pro 3 have a new “multiport acoustic architecture” that better controls the airflow and the way the sound carries to the ear. How demonstrable that change is remains to be seen, but it should be the best-sounding pair of AirPods yet, if Apple’s messaging is any indication.

    Similarly, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 mark a significant boost in sound quality over the original iteration, with 11mm drivers that help augment both high and low ends. Which architecture delivers better sound quality will come down to preference, and we won’t know for sure until we try AirPods Pro 3 for ourselves, but both should be the best-sounding version in their respective product lines. AirPods Pro 3 will have tough competition, though—we thought the Pixel Buds Pro 2 were damn near perfect.

    2) ANC

    Google Pixel Buds Pro 2
    ©

    Apple is promising some big improvements gen-over-gen with active noise cancellation (ANC), claiming that its AirPods Pro 3 have 2x the ANC capability as the AirPods Pro 2. Apple generally offers better-than-average ANC (it’s not Bose QuietComfort Ultra, but it’s good), so double the ANC is an enticing offer. Google’s Pixel Buds Pro 2 also offer double the ANC over the first generation, and as we stated in our review, it is one of the highlights of the buds overall.

    One thing that could give AirPods Pro 3 the edge, however, is a redesigned eartip that contains foam inside. That should make a very tight seal in your ear and provide good passive noise cancellation on top of ANC. Again, it’s hard to say without hearing the AirPods Pro 3 for ourselves, but there’s a chance that AirPods Pro 3 could have an X factor here.

    3)Battery

    Apple Event iPhone Apple Watch AirPods 06
    © Adriano Contreras / Gizmodo

    One of the biggest AirPods improvements gen-over-gen, according to Apple, is in the battery life department. AirPods Pro 3 now have an 8-hour battery life outside of the case with ANC on, which is two more hours than the AirPods Pro 2. The thing is, we’re comparing to Google’s Pixel Buds Pro 2, which also have 8 hours of battery life outside the case, meaning this part of the showdown could be a tie.

    That being said, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 do have a better battery life in the case. While AirPods Pro 3 have a 24-hour battery life in the case with ANC on, Google’s Pixel Buds Pro 2 have 30 hours. Case battery isn’t the biggest metric for success, but more is more when it comes to battery.

    See AirPods Pro 3 at Amazon

    See Pixel Buds Pro 2 at Amazon

    4( Features

    Google Pixel Buds Pro 2
    Photo: Artem Golub / Gizmodo

    Features are where things get interesting and potentially where AirPods Pro 3 pull away. While both wireless earbuds have AI integrations (Google has Gemini, and AirPods Pro have Apple Intelligence), conversation detection, support for head gestures, and adaptive ANC, and even live translation abilities, Apple’s AirPods Pro 3 lean into health sensing as well.

    AirPods Pro 3 introduces a heart rate sensor that allows the wireless earbuds to be used for tracking workouts and even calories burned, while Google’s Pixel Buds Pro 2 have no such health features. Whether that’s a game-changer is entirely up to you, but it’s clear that AirPods Pro 3 just do more in that department. Maybe Google will close the gap with its next pair of wireless earbuds, but for now, Apple has the advantage, especially if you’re using an iPhone.

    5) Fit

    AirPodspro3
    © Apple

    Apple clearly spent a lot of time redesigning its AirPods Pro 3. Specifically, Apple says that it used “over 10,000 ear scans with more than 100,000 hours of user research” to tweak the fit of AirPods Pro 3. It also changed the “external geometry of the eartip,” which now aligns to the center of the body for more stability. Those changes could very well result in an even more comfortable fit and give AirPods an edge here.

    With that said, we gave the Pixel Buds Pro 2 high marks for comfort, so Apple has its work cut out. Apple does objectively now have more eartip sizes than Google’s Pixel Buds Pro 2—five instead of Google’s four—but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re more comfortable, even if they do have more fit options. If I were a betting man, I’d put my money on Apple in the fit metric, if just because they seem to have exhaustively redesigned the AirPods Pro 3 and focused on the weight and feel.

    AirPods Pro 3 vs. Pixel Buds Pro 2: Price

    While the AirPods Pro 3 are more expensive than the Pixel Buds Pro 2, they’re also brand new, and the price isn’t drastically different. Apple’s AirPods Pro 3 are $250, while Google’s Pixel Buds Pro 2 are $230. What’s notable is that Apple didn’t raise the price of its wireless earbuds, making the AirPods Pro 3 feel like a solid deal. Google’s Pixel Buds Pro 2 are almost exactly a year old at this point, and while $230 isn’t the most expensive starting price for wireless earbuds, it’s not a massive discount. That being said, we’ll be able to tell you which price is worth it once we actually test the AirPods Pro 3 ourselves.

    See AirPods Pro 3 at Amazon

    See Pixel Buds Pro 2 at Amazon

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    James Pero

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