Where they actually differ
The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.
| Spec | Nothing - Ear (3) | Google - Pixel Buds Pro 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery — with case | 40 h | 30 h |
| Battery — buds | 8.5 h | 8 h |
| Spatial audio | false | true |
| Weight per bud | 4.6 g | 4.7 g |
Between the Ear (3) and Pixel Buds Pro 2, the Ear (3) comes out ahead in battery — with case / battery — buds, while the Pixel Buds Pro 2 wins on spatial audio. Overall, the Ear (3) scores 79.8 and the Pixel Buds Pro 2 scores 78.7 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (79.8 vs 78.7). The decision is not about overall quality — both clear the bar — it is about which specific trade-offs fit your use.
Pick the Ear (3) if your top frustration with your current device is running out of charge before the day ends — endurance is the lead spec here. The biggest gaps in its favor are battery — with case, battery — buds, weight per bud. The single most decisive one: Battery — with case — 33.33% more. 40 h vs 30 h.
Pick the Pixel Buds Pro 2 if audio quality and feature breadth (ANC, codecs, multipoint) are the lead criteria for your purchase. Its strongest claims are spatial audio. The single most decisive one: Has Spatial audio.
Both ship with comparable active noise cancellation, driver size, water resistance, so those specs do not separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: there is no wrong answer here — match the spec advantages to how you actually use the product. The Mars Score parity says both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Which should you buy: Nothing - Ear (3) or Google - Pixel Buds Pro 2?
Nothing - Ear (3) leads the current Mars Score by 1.1 points.The more useful decision is the trade-off behind that result: compare battery — buds, weight per bud against the way you will actually use the product.
Choose Nothing - Ear (3) if…
Nothing - Ear (3) has the measurable edge on battery life case h, battery life buds h, weight per bud g.
Choose Google - Pixel Buds Pro 2 if…
Google - Pixel Buds Pro 2 has the measurable edge on has spatial audio.
This is a structured comparison of the published catalog values. It is not a claim of identical real-world performance across every workload; use the linked spec drill-downs and methodology page to inspect the inputs.
Why Nothing - Ear (3) wins
- ▲Battery — with case — 33.33% more. 40 h vs 30 h.
- ▲Battery — buds — 6.25% more. 8.5 h vs 8 h.
- ▲Weight per bud — 0.10 g less. 4.6 vs 4.7.
Why Google - Pixel Buds Pro 2 wins
- ▲Has Spatial audio.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Nothing - Ear (3) | Google - Pixel Buds Pro 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | in-ear | in-ear |
| Weight per bud | 4.6 glead | 4.7 g |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP54 | IP54 |
Audio
| Spec | Nothing - Ear (3) | Google - Pixel Buds Pro 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Driver sizeⓘ | 11 mm | 11 mm |
| Active noise cancellationⓘ | true | true |
| Transparency mode | true | true |
| Spatial audioⓘ | false | truelead |
Battery
| Spec | Nothing - Ear (3) | Google - Pixel Buds Pro 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery — buds | 8.5 hlead | 8 h |
| Battery — with case | 40 hlead | 30 h |
| Wireless case chargingⓘ | true | true |
Connectivity
| Spec | Nothing - Ear (3) | Google - Pixel Buds Pro 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetoothⓘ | 5.3 | 5.3 |
| Codecsⓘ | LDAC,LHDC 5.0,AAC,SBC | AAC,SBC |
| Multipointⓘ | true | true |
| In-ear detection | true | true |
Frequently asked
Which has longer battery, Ear (3) or Pixel Buds Pro 2?+
Ear (3) lasts 8.5h per charge vs 8h.
Do Ear (3) or Pixel Buds Pro 2 support multipoint?+
Both support multipoint pairing.
Which has ANC, Ear (3) or Pixel Buds Pro 2?+
Both models have active noise cancellation.