Shifting its focus to its audio products, Google has released a new update to its Pixel buds series to drastically improve the user experience. The update targets all of Google's flagship and most recent A series Pixel buds, incorporating previously-promised and new features.
The Original Google Pixel Buds Pro Is Included
Google is rolling out firmware version 6.144 and it brings the highly anticipated dynamic ANC feature first announced during Pixel 11 series launch event. The earbuds will now dynamically adjust their audio profile and noise-cancelling strength in real-time by calculating the optimal acoustic seal based on how securely the buds are seated in users' ears.
The majority of new additions are also rolling out to the the Pixel Buds Pro, the budget-friendly Pixel Buds 2a. This includes Gemini voice commands to control hardware settings, allowing users to toggle ANC, tweak equaliser presets or enable/disable touch gestures completely hands-free.
Another addition to the update is a Live Translate feature which can now be initiated with a tap on the earbud while the smartphone can remain in the pocket. Additionally, there's a new "Tap to mute" gesture which allows users to mute the mic during calls (Pixel exclusive).
Lastly, when connected to Pixel Watch, the earbuds can now detect when a user has fallen asleep to auto-pause music, silence incoming notifications and lock touch gestures so the user isn't accidentally skipping tracks in their sleep.
We checked our Pixel Buds Pro unit and it has yet to receive the version 6.144 update. It appears to be rolling out in batches to the Pixel Buds Pro 2 first and could be followed by Pixel Buds Pro and Pixel Buds 2a. A wider rollout should follow as Google confirms there are no existing issues in the build. Until them, stay tuned.
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