Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro Review Roundup: How Does It Fare Against AirPods Pro?

Samsung recently released a new truly wireless pair of earbuds meant to go with the new Galaxy S21 series and go head-to-head with Apple’s AirPods Pro. Dubbed the “Galaxy Buds Pro,” these new earbuds promise to deliver more than what the South Korean giant’s earlier releases have to offer. But does it?

The new Galaxy Buds Pro comes after Samsung released the bean-shaped Galaxy Buds Live. It offers the best features of both the aforementioned Buds Live and the older but very capable Galaxy Buds+ but adds in a bit more to make it the best that the company has to offer at the moment.

One important thing to note when it comes to the Galaxy Buds Pro is that Samsung has designed it to work best when paired with Samsung devices – particularly the new Galaxy S21 series of smartphones. Just like how the AirPods Pro can be maximized by pairing it with an iPhone, the Galaxy Buds Pro offers some more features that are only accessible when paired with a Samsung handset.

Several reviewers indicate that the $200 Galaxy Buds Pro seems to be the best that Samsung has to offer at the moment, and depending on a user’s preference, it might be better than Apple’s top-of-the-line wireless earbuds as well.

According to Sammobile, the new Galaxy Buds Pro is better than the Galaxy Buds+ thanks to a few features, most notable of which is active noise cancellation and ambient sound.

Considering how the Buds+ was considered better than the original Galaxy Buds, which was itself considered the best in its class for some features – and is even listed among big players such as the Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700 and Grado Prestige SR325e headphones – it’s not hard to understand that the Galaxy Buds Pro offers a great audio experience.

MacRumors, on the other hand, noted that the Galaxy Buds Pro will require users to get the perfect fit in order to enjoy the best sound and ANC performance. Samsung includes a few tips in different sizes, so this shouldn’t be a problem. The outlet said the Buds Pro and AirPods Pro tend to offer “close to indistinguishable” sound quality.

Design-wise, Samsung’s Galaxy Buds Pro comes in a totally different look compared to the AirPods Pro. There are no protruding stems, and it comes in varying colors to match the Galaxy S21 series. It also has a small charging case that’s capable of adding up to 20 hours of battery life in addition to the earbuds’ maximum eight hours with ANC turned off.

The Galaxy Buds Pro is IPX7 rated for water resistance so users can wear it when hitting the gym or running on the streets. Samsung designed them to be useful in a variety of situations.

All that said, the Galaxy Buds Plus is best used for a Samsung smartphone, specifically those running on Android 7.0 and have at least 1.5GB of RAM, the company said. Apple fans are advised to get an AirPods Pro instead since these aren’t designed for iPhones.