• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 

2

The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises

3

Meet a 21-year-old community college student who's going to China as the first American woman welder in the trades Olympics

1

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 

2

The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises

3

Meet a 21-year-old community college student who's going to China as the first American woman welder in the trades Olympics
TechFuture 50

Google Pixel Buds Review Roundup: The Good—and the Ugly

By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
November 16, 2017, 1:21 PM ET

Last month, Google showcased its new Pixel 2 smartphone, its answer to the iPhone 8 and iPhone X, with more powerful components than last year’s model. But it was the company’s new wireless earbuds, which were unveiled at the same time, that may have generated more buzz.

The Pixel Buds, which started shipping this week, cost $159. But if you want to order them, you’ll have to wait because they have sold out.

The wireless earbuds come with a built-in microphone for making calls, fast-charging to keep them powered throughout the day, and a Google Translate feature that lets you easily communicate with people in other languages.

While those features might sound compelling, are the Pixel Buds actually a good deal? Several critics tried them out recently and shared their thoughts.

Here’s a roundup of their Pixel Buds reviews:

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter

Digital Trends

Ryan Waniata at Digital Trends gave Google’s Pixel Buds a score of 6 out of a possible 10. He was pleased with the Pixel Buds’ real-time translation features—the Pixel 2 and Pixel Buds can quickly play translated audio of what someone says—and was impressed by how loud the volume could be cranked up. But he found that the Pixel Buds failed to fit well in his ears and were uncomfortable.

“Unless you’re a Pixel phone owner who travels abroad on a regular basis, we’d recommend looking elsewhere,” Waniata wrote in his review.

The Verge

The Verge’s Sean O’Kane wasn’t so forgiving when it came time to score the Pixel Buds. While he liked the earbuds’ long battery life (Google says they last 24 hours) and called the sound “acceptable,” O’Kane didn’t like the carrying case the Pixel Buds came in (he said the case was too small for his liking) and was similarly displeased with how they fit in his ears. He ended his review by giving the Pixel Buds a score of 5 out of 10.

“The Pixel Buds tease some really fantastic ideas that I hope Google will someday deliver on,” he wrote. “But this is a first-generation product in the bad kind of way, and it looks even worse when you compare it to Apple’s growing success with the AirPods.”

Wired

Wired reviewer David Pierce gave the Pixel Buds a score of 6 out of 10. Pierce was impressed by the Pixel Buds’ Google Assistant integration, which allows users to search the Web and get information with voice commands. He also liked their design. But he thought the Pixel Buds were “way, way too hard to use” and at $159, were too expensive.

“I can’t figure out the Google Pixel Buds,” he wrote. “That’s a strange thing to say about headphones, I know. You stick ’em in your ears, they play music—what’s so complicated? Unfortunately, it’s not that easy.”

Gizmodo

Adam Clark Estes at Gizmodo let the world know his view of Pixel Buds in his review headline: “Google’s Pixel Buds aren’t even close to being good.” In fact, he was the harshest of the reviewers, saying that while the earbuds’ Google Assistant integration was nice, he disliked “basically everything else.” He didn’t give a numeric rating.

“The Pixel Buds suck, but they shouldn’t,” he wrote.

Axios

Axios’ Ina Fried also didn’t assign a score to the Pixel Buds, but that’s not to say that she liked the earbuds. While Fried liked the real-time translation features, she cautioned that they’d be best for Pixel 2 owners because the Translate feature is only available with Google’s smartphone. Just about everyone else, though, might find a better option elsewhere.

About the Author
By Don Reisinger
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

chicks
InnovationScience
Jurassic Park isn’t just a movie anymore as de-extinction startup hatches live chicks
By Adithi Ramakrishnan and The Associated PressMay 20, 2026
48 minutes ago
whales
AISan Francisco
San Francisco thinks AI can save the whales. Here’s how
By Annika Hammerschlag and The Associated PressMay 20, 2026
1 hour ago
schmidt
AIColleges and Universities
The sound of graduating from college in the AI summer of 2026: boo!
By Heather Hollingsworth, Jocelyn Gecker and The Associated PressMay 20, 2026
1 hour ago
gen z
AIGen Z
3 reasons kids hate AI—especially the ones who refuse to even try it
By Nick LichtenbergMay 20, 2026
2 hours ago
Accenture exec says the consulting giant is hiring more entry-level workers out of college compared to last year
Future of WorkWorkplace Innovation Summit
Accenture exec says the consulting giant is hiring more entry-level workers out of college compared to last year
By Emma BurleighMay 20, 2026
2 hours ago
cohen
Startups & VentureAI agents
Meet the brothers who turned a homegrown AI agent into a $12 million bet on the future of work — in six weeks
By Nick LichtenbergMay 20, 2026
3 hours ago

Most Popular

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
Workplace Culture
Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
By Preston ForeMay 19, 2026
20 hours ago
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
Politics
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
By Jake AngeloMay 12, 2026
8 days ago
Meet a 21-year-old community college student who's going to China as the first American woman welder in the trades Olympics
Future of Work
Meet a 21-year-old community college student who's going to China as the first American woman welder in the trades Olympics
By Mike Householder and The Associated PressMay 17, 2026
3 days ago
Current price of oil as of May 19, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of May 19, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMay 19, 2026
1 day ago
Spirit Airlines apologizes to all the Americans who can't afford any summer vacation flights as it shuts down
Travel & Leisure
Spirit Airlines apologizes to all the Americans who can't afford any summer vacation flights as it shuts down
By Rio Yamat and The Associated PressMay 18, 2026
2 days ago
Employers are quietly pausing 401(k) matches again. The last time this happened was the 2008 recession and Covid
Personal Finance
Employers are quietly pausing 401(k) matches again. The last time this happened was the 2008 recession and Covid
By Courtney Vinopal and HR BrewMay 18, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.