Quick summary
Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 have a benefit that hasn't been discussed so far.
Fast wireless charging means it will be even easier to keep listening on the move.
The new Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 have only just been announced and Google's focus for these buds was on the Gemini skills and the fact that they are now much smaller than they were before. But there's something else lurking in the technical details that you might have missed.
The new Pixel Buds Pro 2 are 27% smaller than the original Pixel Buds Pro, but Google is still claiming 8 hours of battery life with active noise cancellation. That's thanks to the new Tensor A1 chip that powers these new buds - it's more efficient, so despite being smaller, you still get decent battery life.
And it's here that there's a change. Not specifically to the battery, but to the charging. As discovered by Android Authority, the wireless charging rate of the Buds Pro 2 has been increased to 5W, so the case will charge at double the speed that the older model could. That means that when you throw your Pixel Buds 2 Pro on a wireless charging pad, it should be topped up faster than before.
The Pixel Buds Pro 2 want to be the earbuds of choice, with the promise of enhanced sound quality and boosted active noise cancellation performance. At launch, Google said that the new Tensor A1 chip has boosted the ANC to cut out twice as much background noise as before.
What's really interesting about the new Google headphones is how much they have been reduced in size. The original Pixel Buds Pro were on the bulky side, but Google used 45 million data points for ear scans to create a new design that was more compact, while promising a better and more secure fit.
Key to this fit is the new stabiliser that Google has included around the body, designed to make sure that once the ear buds are in place, they stay put.
Talking up the Gemini skills
Aside from the hardware changes on these headphones, Google also gave them Gemini skills, taking advantage of Gemini Live, which delivers a conversational experience with Gemini. Those changes are welcome, but we're still to see exactly what that experience is going to be like.
Previously, Gemini wasn't a direct replacement for Google Assistant and that left it limited in things like device control - it couldn't launch Spotify to play music for example, which is exactly the sort of thing that you might ask it to do.
The new Pixel Buds Pro 2 are currently on pre-order, available for £219, $229 or €249.
