We just looked at Google’s latest Pixel Buds Pro 2 which featured Gemini integration as one of their biggest selling points, along with a reduced form factor and a Tensor A1 chip. Though, recently, Google announced that it’s extending its AI assistant to older Pixel Buds models, too.
The news came via a mass email sent to Pixel Buds owners, first reported by 9to5Google on Wednesday. Google also updated its support page to include the past iterations of the Pixel Buds that Gemini is now facilitated on. These include the Pixel Buds, Pixel Buds Pro, and the Pixel Buds A-Series.
The Mountain View company states that the “Hey Google” phrase is still applicable; you’d just need to set Gemini as the primary Google assistant on your phone. However, Gemini hasn’t been released worldwide yet, so this feature is only applicable to countries where the mobile app is available.
This change explains why, in a rather sudden and abrupt move, Google took away one of the key functionalities on the Pixel Buds Pro: tapping and holding the touch interface on the buds for them to read your notifications. According to the announcement, the new way to have the Pixel Buds read out notifications is to activate Google Assistant and say, “Hey Google, read my notifications.”
Users weren’t happy about the change and protested over the fact that the notifications feature was the reason why many opted for those buds. Plus, talking to your buds, especially in public settings, isn’t the last thing that consumers want. But this was one of those inevitable steps that had to be taken since Google has been trying its best to extend its Gemini assistant lately.
If anything, though, the extension of this feature on older Pixel Buds variants makes the flagship model less tempting for me. We loved the first-gens Pixel Buds Pro too, and the price difference between the two generations ($230 Pixel Buds Pro 2 vs. $140 Pixel Buds Pro) is massive. If the two-year-old model is now offering one of the biggest features of the latest model, that’s one extra reason to save my bucks.
My ears have trouble accepting in-ear tips, so the latest Pixel Buds Pro 2 were extra snug on me because of their reduced form factor. If your ears are accepting of earbuds of any size and weight, you’ll likely be okay with the fit on past Pixel Buds models. The sound and ANC on the first-gen Pixel Buds Pro was quite decent, too. If you’re in the market for an entry-level pair of buds and wish to stay within the Google Assistant ecosystem, it’s now worth looking at year-old buds, too.
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