Google’s giving Pixel Buds Pro 2 an AI upgrade - but you’ll need to be patient

Google's new Pixel Buds Pro 2 are excellent earbuds, and Google intends to make them even more excellent with the power of AI. Not only that, but it's bringing some of its Gemini AI features to older Pixel Buds too. 

That’s good news because as we noted in our review, the Gemini-powered AI features in the Buds 2 are a little bit limited and in some cases, less functional than the previous Google Assistant. But Google says it's working on some significant improvements to the earbuds' AI.

What AI upgrades are coming to the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2?

According to 9to5Google, Google is currently "reworking the notifications experience from the ground up". Its initial focus has been on spoken notifications dealing with messages, as they're among the most important notifications for people, but it intends to expand the spoken notifications to cover more apps.

As Google put it, the firm is "deeply excited about the many different ways Gemini can enhance your overall notification experience for messaging and non-messaging apps when using Pixel Buds." 

That "Pixel Buds" rather than "Pixel Buds Pro" is significant. In an email to users sent yesterday, 25 September, Google announced that "Gemini will be coming soon to Pixel Buds and will be available if Gemini is set as your default digital assistant on your Android phone." Provided you're in a country where Gemini is available – that includes the UK – the AI will be available when you're wearing your Pixel Buds and your phone is unlocked.

As yet we don't have an official date for the upgrade; Google just says that it's "coming soon". But Google doesn't tend to announce feature updates months in advance – unlike, say, Apple with the months-long run-up to Apple Intelligence's arrival on the iPhone 16 and iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max – so it should be reasonably soon.