How does the new Google Pixel Buds compare to the Microsoft Surface Earbuds?
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Early this month, Microsoft surprised everyone by announcing the new Surface Earbuds. The new Surface Earbuds is a truly wireless earbuds that work with any Bluetooth device and comes with a dual mic array and 24 hours of battery life. The Surface Earbuds also have the the responsive touch surface enabling intuitive gestures like tap, touch, and swipe. Microsoft announced that the Surface Earbuds will be available for $249 later this year. Today, Google announced the new Pixel Buds that will directly compete with the upcoming Surface Earbuds. Google Pixel Buds will be available only during Spring next year for $179. I didn’t have access to these upcoming earbuds, so I can’t really tell which one will be better. Let’s take a look at the highlights of both these earbuds, which will allow you to make a decision.
- Design with four anchor points so each earbud sits securely in your ear. Find your perfect size with three sets of interchangeable silicone ear tips.
- The responsive touch surface enables intuitive gestures like tap, touch, and swipe.
- Surface Earbuds features custom-designed 13.6mm drivers that are precisely-tuned to deliver an exceptional audio experience.
- Two microphones in each earbud deliver exceptional voice recognition and call quality.
- 8 hours per single charge, 24 hours with the charging case.
- With Surface device, pair them with one click via Swift Pair. Surface Earbuds also work with any Android 4.4, iPhone 5, iOS9, Bluetooth 4.1/4.2 device.
- Realtime translation support in PowerPoint.
- Cortana or any digital assistant support.
- Waterproof rating: IPX4.
- Office 365 and Spotify integration.
- Design with a three point anchor so each earbud sits securely in your ear.
- The responsive touch surface enables intuitive gestures like tap, and swipe.
- With custom-designed 12 mm dynamic speaker drivers, Google Pixel Buds deliver high-quality audio.
- Two microphones in each earbud along with built-in sensors detect when you’re talking, and mics focused on your voice make sure background noise stays in the background.
- 5 hours per single charge, 24 hours with the wireless charging case.
- With Google Pixel, pair them with a tap. Google Pixel Buds also easily connect with any Bluetooth 4.0+ iOS and Android device.
- Realtime translation support when paired with a device running Android 6.0 or newer.
- Google Assistant support.
- Waterproof rating: IPX4.
- Find My Device makes it easy to locate Google Pixel Buds.
- Ambient vent underneath reduces that plugged-ear feeling, and lets through just the right amount of environmental sound so you can stay aware of the things around you.
- Pixel Buds also have Adaptive Sound, which dynamically adjusts the volume as you move from a quiet environment to a noisy one, so you don’t have to constantly raise or lower the volume.
As you can see from the list above, apart from the items that are in bold, both Surface Earbuds and Pixel Buds will offer almost the same experience. When you compare the price, you have to pay over $70 premium to get the Surface Earbuds over Pixel Buds. Do you think it is worth it? I personally feel most people will pick Pixel Buds over Surface Earbuds due to the insane pricing by Microsoft.
