Google has introduced its first ever wireless earphones Pixel buds at the event in San Francisco on Wednesday. Pixel buds come with Google Assistant support, and when used with Pixel smartphones, they also give users access to Google Translate in real-time conversations.
Google introduced the real-time multi-lingual translation as a highlight feature of the Pixel Buds. So, users can have conversations with people who speak a different language using the wireless earphones. Though the earphones have a wire connecting the two earpieces, the wire however doesn’t connect to a device.
The Pixel buds are compatible with Pixel phones or Android phone running Android 7.0 Nougat or above with the Google Assistant. However, the translation feature will be available for Pixel phones only. The company says that it won’t be able to control firmware updates on third-party devices.
How to use Pixel buds
Google has put all the audio controls into a touchpad on the right earbud. There aren’t any more buttons anywhere including the wire. Controls are very easy, you just need to swipe forward or backward to control the volume and tap to play or pause the music.
Pixel Buds have a battery that can last five hours on a single charge. Charging them is also very easy as they come into a pocket-sized charging case. This case gives you up to 24 hours of listening time. Further, pairing them with a phone is just simple, just open the charging case near your Pixel or other compatible phones. Your phone will automatically detect Pixel Buds and ask you if you want to connect.
Google Assistant and Google Translate
Getting Google Assistant’s help is also a quite useful feature of these earphones. To enable Assistant, you just need to touch and hold the right earbud. Now, ask your Google Assistant to play music, make a phone call, or get directions, without even pulling your phone out of your pocket.
Next, the real-time translation is the most talked about feature of the Pixel buds. To use this feature, all you need to do is hold the right earbud, and ask the Assistant “Help me speak (name of language)”. Pixel Buds translate between languages in real time using Google Translate. It works in 40 languages.
Adam Champy, Product Manager, Google Pixel Buds explains the feature, “Say you’re in Little Italy, and you want to order your pasta like a pro. All you have to do is hold down on the right earbud and say, ‘Help me speak Italian.’ As you talk, your Pixel phone’s speaker will play the translation in Italian out loud. When the waiter responds in Italian, you’ll hear the translation through your Pixel Buds.”
Pixel Buds come in same three colors as Pixel 2 phones- Just Black, Clearly White and Kinda Blue. The earphones will be available in November for $159 in the U.S. Pre-orders are already open. In future, the Pixel Buds will be available in Canada, U.K., Germany, Australia and Singapore as well.
