Key points to remember
Samsung’s new Galaxy Buds 3 and Buds 3 Pro feature updated designs and improved specs, including better audio quality and adaptive ANC.
The Galaxy Buds 3 are water and dust resistant with less battery life but a larger case capacity; while the Buds 3 Pro have dual dynamic and planar drivers.
The Buds 3 have an unsealed fit similar to the AirPods, while the Buds 3 Pro come with silicone tips for better isolation and noise cancellation.
Samsung is launching two new pairs of noise-canceling earbuds to round out its lineup, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 and Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. Both new pairs of noise-canceling earbuds are very different from their predecessors, adopting a new design with a stem rather than stemless round earbuds, making them look a little more like AirPods this time around. In addition to their updated design, they come with improved specs over previous generations of Samsung Galaxy Buds.
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Samsung Buds Get a New Look
The Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 will feature single-amp dynamic drivers, with support for up to 24-bit/96kHz transfer rates, which allows for better audio quality than the Galaxy Buds 2. They also have adaptive ANC and EQ, as well as a voice-activated Ambient Mode, which is useful when you need to talk to someone in public and quickly switch between noise cancellation and Ambient Mode. The earbuds themselves have a smaller battery than before, but the case has a larger one. So while the earbuds won’t last as long in each session, at five hours with noise cancellation on and six hours with noise cancellation off, the case will offer a battery life of 24 hours with noise cancellation on and 30 hours with noise cancellation off.
Samsung Galaxy Buds 3
The Galaxy Buds 3 look a lot like the AirPods. That being said, their ANC, accent lighting, and improved audio quality could really make them stand out from the crowd.
- Battery life
-
5 hours (ANC on), 6 hours (ANC off)
- Charging case included?
-
Yes
- Microphones
-
3
- Brand
-
Samsung
- Bluetooth
-
Yes
- Price
-
$180
- IP protection rating
-
IP57
- Battery box
-
24 hours (ANC on), 30 hours (ANC off)
- Dimensions and weight (headphones)
-
20.3 x 18.2 x 31.9 mm, 4.8 grams
- Noise Cancellation
-
Yes
- Max talk time.
-
4 hours
- Maximum reading time
-
6 hours
- Maximum playing time (overall)
-
30 hours
A notable improvement over the Galaxy Buds 3 is that they are IP57 water and dust resistant, meaning dust won’t get into important internal components, and they can withstand full submersion in one meter of water for 30 minutes. This is a significant improvement over the Galaxy Buds 2, which were only IPX2. Design-wise, Samsung has ditched the silicone in-ear tip for the Galaxy Buds 3, resulting in a non-sealed fit similar to the original AirPods. This doesn’t bode well for noise-canceling performance, as well as being bad for passive isolation. The earbuds will be available in white and silver colorways.
The Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro also have the same transfer rate, IP rating, and adaptive ANC and EQ, but with a few other improvements on top. Most notably, the Galaxy Buds Pro 3 will feature dual-amped dynamic and planar drivers, which is pretty rare for regular consumer earbuds. The earbuds’ battery life is also a bit lower than the previous Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, lasting 6 hours with noise canceling on and 7 hours with noise canceling off, but the case offers a total battery life of 30 hours.
Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro
Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are Samsung’s premium wireless earbuds with enhanced audio quality, adaptive sound that adjusts to your surroundings, ANC, and light-up earbuds.
- Battery life
-
6 hours (ANC on), 7 hours (ANC off)
- Charging case included?
-
Yes
- Microphones
-
3
- Brand
-
Samsung
- Bluetooth
-
Yes
- Price
-
$250
- IP protection rating
-
IP57
- Dimensions and weight (headphones)
-
19.8 x 18.1 x 33.2 mm, 5.4 grams
- Colors
-
White, silver
- Noise Cancellation
-
Yes
- Headphone weight
-
5.4 grams
- Maximum talk time
-
4 hours
- Maximum reading time
-
7 hours
- Maximum playing time (overall)
-
30 hours
These Pro earbuds, unlike the Galaxy Buds 3, will have silicone eartips for a tight fit, making them similar to another pair of AirPods, the AirPods Pro. This design is great for better isolation and noise-canceling performance. The Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro will also come in white and silver colorways.
The new Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 and Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are available for pre-order now and will be available to buy on July 24, with the Galaxy Buds 3 starting at $210 and the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro starting at $280 — but they’re both on sale now.
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