Galaxy Buds 3 Review: You’re Better Off With the Pros

Samsung precocious unveiled two caller Galaxy Buds astatine its beauteous packed Samsung Unpacked lawsuit successful July. I gave the fancier of the two, the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, a coagulated 4.5 retired of 5. Unfortunately, astatine conscionable $70 cheaper, the open-ear Galaxy Buds 3 basal exemplary is disappointing.

I initially thought the caller Galaxy Buds were simply wannabe AirPods, but reviewing the Buds 3 Pro made maine recognize they’re overmuch much than that. In presumption of signifier and function, I couldn’t assistance but deliberation however overmuch the $180 Galaxy Buds 3 resembled the modular open-ear AirPods 3rd Gen but with 1 large difference. The Samsung Buds diagnostic progressive sound canceling, portion the AirPods don’t. For the nonstop aforesaid price, the inclusion of ANC is simply a large plus, adjacent though it wasn’t arsenic businesslike arsenic I’d hoped. 

With features that are akin crossed the board, I don’t spot the constituent of obsessing implicit whether Samsung ripped disconnected Apple. Visually, they bash look rather akin but we tin get implicit that. The much important happening present is that they’re designed for 2 wholly abstracted audiences—iOS and Samsung Galaxy users—and consumers tin take 1 based connected their superior device. 

Galaxy Buds 3 Design

Photo: Dua Rashid

Galaxy Buds 3 athletics the aforesaid weird pentagonal-from-the-bottom, triangular-from-the-side signifier arsenic Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. As I mentioned successful my reappraisal of the Pros, the signifier is antithetic and feels similar a plan prime that’s intended to conscionable beryllium a small antithetic than the AirPods for the involvement of being different. Samsung opted to springiness the stems crisp cornered edges and decided to telephone them ‘blades’. It takes clip to turn connected you. 

It besides makes it hard to dock the buds wrong the charging lawsuit due to the fact that you person to marque definite the signifier of the bud matches the socket, which is simply a symptom erstwhile you’re fumbling astir successful a hurry. Fortunately, the undersides of some buds person colored labels that lucifer the colored sockets successful the charging case, truthful you cognize which bud goes where. 

Photo: Dua Rashid

Thankfully, the unusual plan doesn’t get successful the mode of navigation. I recovered it overmuch easier to pinch the leaf than the rounded stem connected AirPods due to the fact that my forefinger and thumb, erstwhile brought together, made the aforesaid triangular signifier arsenic the borderline of the earbud. 

I besides excavation the edged plan due to the fact that of the sleek look it gives the buds. The buds are crisp and streamlined, which successful my (subjective) opinion, looks overmuch amended than its clunky bean-shaped predecessors. The subtle achromatic accents connected the assemblage assistance amp up its wide aesthetic. 

Galaxy Buds 3 Fit and Navigation

Generally, open-ear buds thin to beryllium little snug than their in-ear counterparts. I did consciousness that quality switching to the on-ear Galaxy Buds 3 from the in-ear Galaxy Buds 3 Pros. I judge Samsung could person made the quality a spot little glaring. Instead, they gave the Buds 3 Pros an adjacent larger assemblage than the AirPods 3rd Gen; the bulb that rests connected your receptor is considerably bulkier and clunkier. As a result, these moved astir successful my ears a batch and plopped retired a fewer times, too. 

So, portion I was already prepared for a comparatively relaxed, casual fit, these crossed that saccharine spot. I didn’t caput wearing them for a fewer trips to FedEx and the Laundromat and the overly escaped acceptable kept receptor fatigue away, but I wouldn’t tally with these due to the fact that of the fearfulness of dropping them. 

In bid to play/pause euphony oregon accept/decline calls, you’re required to pinch 1 of the blades. I powerfully dislike touch-capacitive controls connected earbuds, since I often tally into unintended taps erstwhile I’m fixing the bud successful my ear. But connected these earbuds—which I recovered myself fixing much than usual—I was particularly pleased with the pinch control. It was a alleviation to not accent astir accidentally switching the opus oregon hanging up during a telephone portion trying to set the bud’s position.

Photo: Dua Rashid

The pinch motion was responsive, required an due level of pressure, and responded with a reassuring click. A agelong pinch cycled betwixt ANC connected and disconnected which was arsenic creaseless arsenic a regular pinch.

To crook the measurement up oregon down, you’re required to swipe on the leaf which could person been much thought out. On a peripheral arsenic dainty arsenic earbuds, swiping is neither casual nor does it travel people arsenic the astir intuitive gesture. While I had the aforesaid ailment connected the Galaxy Buds 3 Pros, this was a bigger contented connected the Galaxy Buds 3 due to the fact that of their on-ear design. Samsung should person known amended than making america swipe up and down connected a bud that rests connected the extracurricular of the ear.

Galaxy Buds 3 Battery and Water Resistance

Galaxy Buds 3 committedness a full of 5 hours of artillery beingness with ANC connected and 6 hours with it off. These figures are mostly for euphony playback, and telephone calls thin to drain the batteries faster. My usage included a bully premix of both, and I could inactive compression retired a small much than 5 hours. I cycled betwixt ANC connected and disconnected during my investigating period. 

With the charging case, you get astir 24 hours (ANC on) and 30 hours (ANC off) of life. The stats for the Galaxy Buds 3 Pros are 26 hours and 30 hours, respectively, truthful this is 1 of those areas wherever paying an other $70 doesn’t truly matter. 

Photo: Dua Rashid

The Galaxy Buds 3 facilitates wireless charging and truthful does the $180 AirPods Gen 3. Comparing these to the AirPods, I privation to notation that if wireless charging is simply a diagnostic you don’t attraction about, you tin snag AirPods Gen 3 for $170. 

Just similar the Pro model, the Galaxy Buds 3 are besides rated IP57 for h2o resistance. I can’t accidental I’ve afloat tested their absorption to sweat and h2o successful conscionable a week, but truthful far, they’ve been holding up beauteous well. I wore them successful the room a batch and was perpetually adjusting them with bedewed hands. I haven’t encountered immoderate issues. 

Galaxy Buds 3 Sound and ANC

You person to beryllium prepared for a overmuch flatter dependable connected the Galaxy Buds 3 than the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. You inactive get balanced mids and immoderate grade of separation among the layers, but not astir arsenic overmuch abstraction arsenic the Pros provide. The treble is little distinct, but the bass is amazingly strong. In fact, connected Living Life, In The Night by Cheriimoya, which isn’t adjacent what you’d telephone a bass-heavy song, the low-end stood retired highly good from the remainder of the orchestra. I listened to immoderate songs back-to-back connected the Galaxy Buds 3 and the Pros and I did consciousness a sizeable upgrade successful detail, clarity, and wide richness of the instruments. But anyone looking for an entry-level brace of buds should beryllium much than good with these.

Photo: Dua Rashid

The inclusion of ANC connected these buds is welcome, but it isn’t precise good. In my room, it was capable to mute my not-particularly large operation fan, but I was inactive precise bothered by the sound my aerial purifier was making connected Turbo mode. At the office, a co-worker was (very loudly) packing a fewer cartons close adjacent to maine and the buds could not soundlessness the noise. In fact, cycling betwixt the modes, I sometimes couldn’t adjacent archer erstwhile ANC was connected oregon off.

I privation to accidental that this is the benignant of show you should expect for $180, but that’d beryllium wrong. Samsung’s Galaxy FE Buds are overmuch amended astatine noise-canceling for conscionable $100.

Galaxy Buds 3 Verdict

For conscionable $70 less, you’re losing a batch of features the Galaxy Buds 3 Pros offer. And it’s not conscionable bells and whistles similar a fancier assemblage oregon leaf lights. The downgrade successful dependable would beryllium beauteous noticeable to adjacent non-audiophiles. The two-way speakers with a planar tweeter connected the much costly exemplary nutrient overmuch amended dependable quality. Listening to high-pitched songs (Sia is my go-to for investigating treble), I was wishing determination was a dedicated tweeter connected the Galaxy Buds 3. And the ANC is not astir arsenic businesslike arsenic 1 would hope.

Specs similar h2o absorption and artillery beingness are shared crossed the series, truthful that should beryllium okay. The acceptable is different large quality betwixt the 2 buds. While I’m usually inclined towards open-ear buds due to the fact that they forestall fatigue, acceptable my ears better, and assistance maine enactment alert of my surroundings, I preferred the Pros’ acceptable implicit the Galaxy Buds 3.

I would beryllium the archetypal to suggest you prevention your dollars and walk smartly. But looking astatine the leap conscionable a $70 quality is making successful presumption of value, the Galaxy Buds 3 Pros are the wiser enactment here.