Google Pixel Buds A could be cheaper than AirPods and launch this summer

Next Google Pixel Buds wireless earbuds could undercut Apple AirPods
(Image credit: Google)

Google's next wireless earbuds have leaked, and it looks like they might be a cut-price affair. According to 9to5Google, Google's next pair will be called the Google Pixel Buds A. Considering Google has used the 'A' naming convention for its cut-price phones in recent years, this suggests they will be wallet-friendly headphones.

(Admittedly Google's cheap phones like the Pixel 4a have used a lower-case 'a' instead of the capital letter rumoured for the Pixel Buds A. But that could be a change of naming convention, or 9to5Google's source may have lost something in translation along the way.)

This would be the third generation of the Pixel Buds. The originals launched in 2017, and the second generation model last year – first in the US, then elsewhere.

The original had a cable connecting the earbuds behind your head, but last year Google cut the cord and went truly wireless. The Pixel Buds A are expected to have the same design, much like the Apple AirPods or Sony WF-1000XM3.

There is one design change, however: the colour. The Pixel Buds A will reportedly come in white and green colours.

The white model will have an all-white case and buds, while the green will retain the black ear tips, wings and case interior from last year's models. 

And a launch date? According to recent FCC filings, we could see the Pixel Buds A unveiled at a mid-year Google event, rather than the autumn/fall as previously expected. As for what features Google could cut to achieve the lower price, we'll just have to wait and see...

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