Samsung this week presented its latest headphones, the Galaxy Buds3 Prowhich look a lot like Apple’s AirPods Pro 2. Given the similarities, we thought we’d compare Samsung’s new earbuds to the AirPods Pro.
In terms of design, you could potentially mistake Samsung’s Galaxy Buds3 Pro for the AirPods Pro. The Buds3 Pro have the same general shape and silicone eartip, although it’s worth noting that the Buds3 Pro come in white and gray, so you’re not limited to white like you are with the AirPods Pro 2. The charging case is also similar to the AirPods charging case, but there’s a clear top.
The Buds3 Pro sound great out of the box, but there is an option to adjust the sound using the equalizer, which is not possible with the AirPods Pro 2. The active noise cancellation and “ambient mode” or transparency on the Buds3 Pro work just as well as those features on the AirPods Pro, and it’s hard to tell the difference between them.
Samsung’s Buds3 Pro aren’t as good as the AirPods Pro when it comes to detecting ambient noise to adjust the sound, though. The AirPods Pro can adjust the sound when someone is talking to you so you can hear them, but the Buds3 Pro struggled to do the same.
The Buds3 Pro feature a built-in LED light for aesthetics, and there are controls on the stem for adjusting the volume. Samsung also added an interpreter mode to translate foreign languages when connected to the latest Galaxy phones, but the feature wasn’t very accurate.
While the Buds3 Pro are similar to the AirPods Pro 2, it’s hard to consider the two as competitors, as you’ll only want to use the Buds3 Pro with Android devices, while the AirPods Pro 2 work best with Apple devices. iPhone users should stick with the AirPods, while Samsung users will want to check out the Buds3 Pro.
Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro are priced at $250which is the same price as the AirPods Pro 2. Pre-orders are available now ahead of the July 24 launch date.