Everything you need to know about the Pixel Buds A-Series – Google’s affordable true wireless headphones.

By Jason Murdock

Published: Thursday, 19 August 2021 at 12:00 am

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After months of leaks and social media speculation, the new Google Pixel Buds A-Series have officially been unveiled, offering what many predicted: a circular pair of wireless headphones at a more wallet-friendly price point.

The buds are a cheaper alternative to the existing second-generation Google Pixel Buds – which were released in 2020 for £179 – and cut the cost by removing a handful of premium features. The approach follows the naming convention set by Google phones, for example, the flagship Google Pixel 5 vs the cheaper Google Pixel 4a.

However, it should be noted that the flagship Pixel Buds are currently priced at around £110 at some U.K retailers, including Argos and John Lewis.

While the new buds were ultimately a no-show at Google’s I/O 2021 conference in May, they were finally revealed to the world on 3rd June, boasting a price tag of £99.99 ($99) and are now available to pre-order in the UK.

If you are interested in Google devices, be sure to check out our comparison of all current Pixel smartphones in our full Google Pixel 5 vs 4a vs 4a 5G guide. Unsure which pair to pick up? Read our Google Pixel Buds review.

Jump to: 

• Release date
• Price and specs
• Design
• Where to buy/pre-order

Pixel Buds A-Series release date

The Pixel Buds A-Series are now available to buy in the U.S. and Canada after pre-orders opened on 3rd June.

When it comes to the UK, Google has unfortunately not confirmed the release date, but the earbuds are now available to pre-order.

Google said that the A-Series buds would be available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, the U.K, and the U.S.

Pre-order the Google Pixel Buds A-Series for £99.99

Pixel Buds A-Series price & specs

Like the rest of Google’s “A” range devices, the new wireless headphones are more affordable than the flagship Pixel Buds. In the U.S. and Canada, the Pixel Buds A-Series will be priced at $99. In the U.K., they are listed from £99.99.

While the U.K. release date is unclear, there are deals to be had on the more premium Pixel Buds – which are currently priced at £110 at Argos.

As expected, some concessions with the A-Series have been made. The headphones lack a wireless charging case, wind reduction and swipe volume control.

However, they retain an impressive amount of the specs in the flagship pair, such as five hours total earbud listening time and Google Assistant voice control.

Here are the main specs you need to know:

• Adaptive sound adjusts the volume to fit your surroundings.
• Touch controls to answer calls and play, skip or pause music.
• USB-C charging port.
• Sweat and water-resistant, great for the gym.
• Contains a 12mm dynamic speaker driver.
• Like the premium Pixel Buds, Google Assistant commands are built-in so you can answer calls, change volume, get map directions, get real-time language translation and check the weather. Just say, “Hey, Google.”
• Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity.
• Buds have five hours of listening time or up to 2.5 hours of talk time. With a case that rises to up to 24 hours of listening time or up to 12 hours talk time.
• Three bud-tip sizes in the box: small, medium and large.

Where to buy and pre-order

How to pre-order the Pixel Buds A-Series 

• £99.99 at Jessops

Where to buy the Google Pixel Buds

• Available at Currys PC World | £109
• Available at Argos | £109
• Available at John Lewis | £99
• Available at Very | £179
• Available at AO | £109