What you need to know
- Motorola’s new Moto Tag 2 arrives in North America with Bluetooth 6.0, UWB support, Google Find Hub integration, and over 500 days of battery life.
- It adds Find My Phone, remote camera controls, location sharing, IP68 durability, privacy protections, and support for third-party accessories.
- The Moto Buds 2 Plus are getting new looks with Swarovski-studded Brilliant Collection and new Pantone color options while keeping the same hardware.
Motorola’s connected ecosystem is getting a little boost, but only one of its latest accessories is actually new. The company is bringing the all-new Moto Tag 2, an upgraded Bluetooth tracker that includes newer wireless technology, longer battery life, and tighter integration with Google’s Find Hub network, to North America along with fresh color options for the Moto Buds 2 Plus.
In North America, the Moto Buds 2 Plus are available in the eye-catching Brilliant Collection, which pairs a PANTONE Violet Indigo finish with Swarovski crystals, or a more understated PANTONE Cool White. There is also a Canadian PANTONE Silhouette option available.
The Brilliant Collection includes 12 Swarovski crystals embedded in each earbud, plus another 41 hand-placed crystals around the Motorola logo on the charging case.
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The styling is new, but the hardware is the same. The Moto Buds 2 Plus still have Sound by Bose tuning, dual 11mm dynamic drivers with Knowles balanced armature drivers, Hi-Res Audio support, Spatial Audio on compatible Motorola phones, and Dynamic Active Noise Cancellation. Transparency Mode and six microphones with CrystalTalk AI also return to enhance calls and keep users aware of their surroundings when necessary.
Motorola hasn’t skimped on features, either. Bluetooth 6.0, dual-device connectivity with auto-switching, wear detection, customizable EQ, Bass Boost, low-latency Gaming Mode, Audio Share, Fit Test, and Motorola AI integrations are still present on compatible devices.
Battery life is rated at up to nine hours on the earbuds alone, or up to 40 hours with the charging case, with a quick 10-minute top-up delivering up to two hours of listening. The earbuds also boast an IP54 rating, while the charging case comes with an IPX2 splash resistance rating.
Pricing hasn’t changed much either. The Swarovski Brilliant Collection edition is priced at $200 in the US, while the PANTONE Cool White version is $150. Availability begins June 30 through Motorola’s online stores.
Android Central’s Take
The Moto Buds 2 Plus has a lot of meaningful upgrades beyond the flashy Swarovski crystals, and the Moto Tag 2 finally catches up to newer Android tracking features. That said, I can’t help but feel Motorola is trying a bit too hard to convince us that crystals belong on earbuds. I’d prefer companies to spend more time on pushing battery life, smarter software, and better ecosystem features than dressing up gadgets like fashion accessories.
The bigger announcement is the Moto Tag 2. Motorola’s new Bluetooth tracker includes Bluetooth 6.0 with Channel Sounding and supports Ultra Wideband (UWB) on compatible Android phones, helping you locate lost items more accurately.
It also works with Google’s Find Hub network, so Android users can find tagged items through the crowdsourced network of devices.
Motorola is also emphasizing practicality. The Moto Tag 2 runs for more than 500 days on a user-replaceable CR2032 battery, carries an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, and works with Android 9 and newer devices.
In addition to basic item tracking, it has Find My Phone, remote camera controls, location sharing, unwanted tracking alerts, and end-to-end encryption and works with third-party accessories. Those additions make it more versatile and address growing privacy concerns around Bluetooth trackers.
