Google Pixel Buds Pro vs Sony LinkBuds S

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Pixel Buds Pro compared with LinkBuds S

	GooglePixel Buds Pro	SonyLinkBuds S
Overview
Released
Released	July 2022	May 2022
Sound
Type
Type	In-ear	In-ear
Noise cancelling
Noise cancelling	Yes	Yes
Transparency mode
Transparency mode	Yes	Yes
Spatial audio with head tracking
Spatial audio with head tracking	Yes	–
Driver size
Driver size	11 mm	5 mm
Bluetooth codecs
Bluetooth codecs	SBC and AAC	SBC, AAC, LDAC and LC3
Chip
Chip	Custom six-core audio chip	V1
Drivers
Drivers	Custom-designed 11 mm dynamic speaker driver in each earbud	5 mm dynamic driver with a high-power neodymium magnet
Chip
Chip	Custom six-core audio chip running Google's noise cancellation algorithms	Integrated Processor V1
Noise cancelling detail
Noise cancelling detail	Active Noise Cancellation with Silent Seal; transparency mode; active in-ear pressure relief; Conversation Detection pauses playback and switches to transparency when speaking, then resumes playback and ANC	Noise cancelling using the microphones on both earbuds; Ambient Sound Mode; Adaptive Sound Control; Quick Attention Mode; Speak-to-Chat
Audio features
Audio features	Volume EQ; adjustable EQ added after launch; spatial audio with head tracking on compatible Pixel 6 or newer phones and supported content; low-latency gaming mode needs compatible games, Pixel 8 or newer and Android 14 or newer; SBC and AAC codecs confirmed by SoundGuys, not listed in Google's spec sheet	LDAC up to 990 kbps (Hi-Res Audio Wireless); DSEE Extreme upscaling; 360 Reality Audio; LE Audio (LC3); equaliser in the app
Hearing health
Hearing health	Hearing Wellness records listening habits and suggests lowering the volume	–
Battery
Listening time (maker's claim)
Listening time (maker's claim)	Up to 7 hours	Up to 6 hours
With the case
With the case	Up to 20 hours	Up to 20 hours
Wireless charging
Wireless charging	Yes	No
Battery life detail
Battery life detail	Up to 11 hours per charge and 31 hours including the case with ANC off; ANC-on totals are 7 and 20 hours, respectively; Google's music playback tests used pre-production hardware and software with other features disabled	Up to 9 hours with noise cancelling off (AAC or SBC); 14 more hours from the case with noise cancelling on; with LDAC, 3.5 hours with noise cancelling on or 4.5 hours off; with LC3, 5.5 hours on or 9 hours off; talk time up to 3.5 hours
Charging case
Charging case	USB-C port and Qi-certified wireless charging; 25 × 50 × 63.2 mm; Hall effect sensor detects case opening and closing	USB-C; about 3 hours to fully charge the case, 2 hours for the earbuds
Fast charging
Fast charging	Five minutes in the case gives up to one hour of listening or 50 minutes of talk time	5 minutes of charging gives about 1 hour of playback
Design
Weight (each earbud)
Weight (each earbud)	6.2 g	4.8 g (better)
Water and sweat resistance
Water and sweat resistance	IPX4	IPX4
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	5.0	5.2
Two devices at once
Two devices at once	Yes	Yes
Controls
Controls	Capacitive touch controls for playback, calls and assistant; swipe to adjust volume; IR in-ear detection for automatic play and pause; Gemini voice control needs Android 10 or newer, current Google and Pixel Buds apps, a Google Account and an internet connection	Touch sensor on each earbud (by default the left switches noise cancelling and Ambient Sound Mode and holds for Quick Attention Mode; the right plays and pauses, skips tracks and holds for the voice assistant; tap four or more times for volume), reassignable in the app; Quick Access for Spotify and Endel; IR sensors pause music when an earbud is taken out and switch the earbuds off after about 15 minutes
Microphones
Microphones	Three microphones per earbud, voice accelerometer and wind-blocking mesh covers; Bluetooth Super Wideband on Pixel 8 or newer with Android 14 or newer; Clear Calling added in the 2023 update	Microphones on both earbuds with Precise Voice Pickup Technology and a mesh structure against wind; MEMS, omnidirectional
Fit and ear tips
Fit and ear tips	Small, medium and large eartips; medium fitted; motion accelerometer and gyroscope in each earbud	Hybrid silicone rubber earbud tips in SS, S, M and LL (M fitted); either earbud can be used on its own
Case weight
Case weight	62.4 g including earbuds	About 35 g
Dimensions
Dimensions	Each earbud 22.33 × 22.03 × 23.72 mm with the medium eartip	–
Water resistance detail
Water resistance detail	Earbuds IPX4; case IPX2; neither is waterproof, and water resistance can diminish with wear	IPX4 for the earbuds
Works with
Works with	Pairs with Bluetooth 4.0 or newer Android and iOS devices, tablets and laptops; full app features need a Google Account, an Android 6.0 or newer companion phone and internet; multipoint and automatic audio switching	Sony | Sound Connect app (formerly Headphones Connect) for iOS and Android; multipoint connection to two devices; LE Audio with compatible devices; Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa; Google Fast Pair and Microsoft Swift Pair; Bluetooth 5.2 Class 1, about 10 m range
Colours
Colours	Fog, Charcoal, Lemongrass and Coral at launch; Bay and Porcelain added in 2023; availability varies by region	White, Black, Ecru at launch; later Earth Blue
In the box
In the box	Earbuds, wireless charging case, three sizes of eartips, quick start guide and safety, warranty and regulatory guide; no charging cable	Earbuds, charging case, USB-C cable (USB-A to USB-C, about 20 cm), hybrid silicone rubber earbud tips in SS, S, M and LL