For a little while there back in March, we expected Google to follow up 2020’s true wireless Pixel Buds with a similarly premium pair of AirPods alternatives this year. But the third ever member of the Pixel Buds family ended up carrying an A-Series moniker, undercutting both its forerunners and most of its key rivals with a $99.99 starting price.
Naturally, that meant a number of the second-gen model’s high-end features and capabilities were left out of the equation, which is why it’s definitely a bit surprising to see Big G retire its rookie true wireless earbuds effort already.
While the company has yet to confirm said retirement in anything resembling an official statement, the product’s disappearance from the US Google e-store leaves little room for interpretation or doubt. Furthermore, the Pixel Buds (2020), which are primarily known simply as the Pixel Buds, can no longer be ordered from the likes of Best Buy in brand-new condition either.
The retailer does have Geek Squad certified refurbished units in stock at the time of this writing in a single black color, but at $116.99 a pair, it’s hard to recommend a purchase even if you’re particularly annoyed at any one of the A-Series omissions.
Those include wireless charging technology, mind you, as well as wind reduction, swiping gestures for volume control, and attention alerts, so if you think about it, you’ll probably understand why the non-A-branded Pixel Buds had to go. After all, there was a reason why we didn’t include those bad boys on our extensive list of the best true wireless earbuds available in 2021. Or rather a number of reasons, starting with an arguably excessive $179.99 retail price.
It remains to be seen now if Google will look to challenge the impending Apple AirPods 3 and Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 with a true sequel to the 2020-released Pixel Buds soon, ideally with active noise cancellation supported this time around.
