Samsung has introduced a brand new galaxy Samsung showed off some smart devices at its Unpacked event in Paris yesterday. The stars of the show were the new foldable models, the Galaxy Z Fold6 and Galaxy Z Flip6, but we also got to see the Galaxy Buds3 and Buds3 Pro – the first time Samsung has launched two series of TWS earbuds at the same event.
Another first for Samsung: These earbuds come with stems, but the company wants you to call them blades. We were at the event in Paris and had the chance to handle both sets. Here are our first impressions.
The cases have been redesigned and now feature a transparent top. Samsung made them from recycled plastic from discarded fishing nets, the most common item polluting the oceans.
The decision to go with a transparent version (instead of a solid color) is intended to increase awareness, but also to differentiate them from previous Galaxy Buds; the clear plastic is also lighter and cheaper than the solid variants.
Opening the case reveals a nice surprise: Samsung color-coded the left and right earbuds, making it easier to tell which earbud goes in the left slot and which in the right. The earbuds themselves are fairly lightweight, but the Buds3 Pro have a light strip that runs down the edge of the stem, forgiveness, and blade.
The Buds3 don’t have this feature, and they also lack a 2-way speaker, which is noticeably absent from the top of the earbud. We’ll share our impressions of the sound quality when we spend more time with them, as the noisy environment wasn’t the best to judge.
The Galaxy Buds3 Pro’s Blade Lights can also have their lighting style changed in the app, and some features can also be enabled/disabled: Adaptive EQ, Adaptive ANC, and Ambient Sound.
Time will tell if the redesign was the right choice, but Samsung could be looking to improve its sales, especially with the built-in Galaxy AI and Live Interpreter mode.