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Samsung's New Galaxy Buds+ Compared to AirPods and AirPods Pro
Samsung at its Unpacked Event in San Francisco this week unveiled the new Galaxy Z Flip and the S20 smartphone lineup, and accompanying its new flagship devices, Samsung also launched its next-generation wire-free earbuds, the Galaxy Buds+.
In our latest YouTube video, we took a look at the new Galaxy Buds+ to test them out, and we did a quick comparison with the AirPods and the AirPods Pro.
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Design wise, the Galaxy Buds+ look pretty much identical to the original Galaxy Buds, but there's an extra microphone that's been added and the charging case now has a glossy finish instead of a matte finish. The size, fit, and comfort are unchanged.
The Galaxy Buds+ are closer in design to the AirPods Pro than the AirPods because of the soft silicone tips that fit into the ear canal to provide a tighter seal, but there is no noise canceling technology included in the Galaxy Buds+.
With the second-generation version of the Galaxy Buds, Samsung aimed to improve audio quality for music and phone calls along with battery life, both of which do seem to be better. The Galaxy Buds+ now last for 11 hours before needing to be recharged with the case, and the sound seems to be improved.
Though closer in design to the AirPods Pro, the price point and the functionality of the Galaxy Buds+ better matches the standard AirPods. The Galaxy Buds+ are $149, so $10 cheaper than the standard AirPods without charging case and $100 cheaper than the AirPods Pro.
There are touch controls on each Galaxy Bud+ earbud, which can be used to play/pause, skip tracks, and activate voice assistants. Those are the only three functions available when connecting the Galaxy Buds+ to the iPhone, but with an Android device, the long press function can be customized to auto-launch Spotify.
Samsung also offers tools for controlling ambient sound levels (though we didn't notice much of a difference with this enabled), and adjusting the sound profile. There are a few preset options for increasing bass or treble and there's an option for making audio more dynamic or soft. There's no true equalizer function, but it's better than what's available for AirPods, which is nothing.
Galaxy Buds+ on Android can read notifications to you, a function not available when using them with the iPhone. AirPods offer a similar function in iOS 13, allowing Siri to announce incoming messages.
Galaxy Buds+ can also be connected to multiple devices at the same time such as a TV and an Android phone so you can hear incoming notifications, but this is not a feature that works when using them with an iPhone.
Overall, the Galaxy Buds+ audio seems to be improved and they sound better than the AirPods, but there's not a huge difference. There is a major difference in sound quality compared to the AirPods Pro in favor of the AirPods Pro, but that's probably not a fair comparison given the Galaxy Buds+ are $100 cheaper and not meant to compete with Apple's noise canceling headphones.
Android users who have considered getting AirPods for their smartphones might want to consider the Galaxy Buds+ instead, but those who use both iOS and Android may still want to go for the regular AirPods because of the H1 chip functionality. The H1 chip in the AirPods and AirPods Pro powers hands-free "Hey Siri" requests, improves connectivity and improves range, and also enables fast switching between Apple devices connected to the same iCloud account.
What do you think of Samsung's improved Galaxy Buds+? Let us know in the comments.
In our latest YouTube video, we took a look at the new Galaxy Buds+ to test them out, and we did a quick comparison with the AirPods and the AirPods Pro.
Design wise, the Galaxy Buds+ look pretty much identical to the original Galaxy Buds, but there's an extra microphone that's been added and the charging case now has a glossy finish instead of a matte finish. The size, fit, and comfort are unchanged.
The Galaxy Buds+ are closer in design to the AirPods Pro than the AirPods because of the soft silicone tips that fit into the ear canal to provide a tighter seal, but there is no noise canceling technology included in the Galaxy Buds+.
With the second-generation version of the Galaxy Buds, Samsung aimed to improve audio quality for music and phone calls along with battery life, both of which do seem to be better. The Galaxy Buds+ now last for 11 hours before needing to be recharged with the case, and the sound seems to be improved.
Though closer in design to the AirPods Pro, the price point and the functionality of the Galaxy Buds+ better matches the standard AirPods. The Galaxy Buds+ are $149, so $10 cheaper than the standard AirPods without charging case and $100 cheaper than the AirPods Pro.
There are touch controls on each Galaxy Bud+ earbud, which can be used to play/pause, skip tracks, and activate voice assistants. Those are the only three functions available when connecting the Galaxy Buds+ to the iPhone, but with an Android device, the long press function can be customized to auto-launch Spotify.
Samsung also offers tools for controlling ambient sound levels (though we didn't notice much of a difference with this enabled), and adjusting the sound profile. There are a few preset options for increasing bass or treble and there's an option for making audio more dynamic or soft. There's no true equalizer function, but it's better than what's available for AirPods, which is nothing.
Galaxy Buds+ on Android can read notifications to you, a function not available when using them with the iPhone. AirPods offer a similar function in iOS 13, allowing Siri to announce incoming messages.
Galaxy Buds+ can also be connected to multiple devices at the same time such as a TV and an Android phone so you can hear incoming notifications, but this is not a feature that works when using them with an iPhone.
Overall, the Galaxy Buds+ audio seems to be improved and they sound better than the AirPods, but there's not a huge difference. There is a major difference in sound quality compared to the AirPods Pro in favor of the AirPods Pro, but that's probably not a fair comparison given the Galaxy Buds+ are $100 cheaper and not meant to compete with Apple's noise canceling headphones.
Android users who have considered getting AirPods for their smartphones might want to consider the Galaxy Buds+ instead, but those who use both iOS and Android may still want to go for the regular AirPods because of the H1 chip functionality. The H1 chip in the AirPods and AirPods Pro powers hands-free "Hey Siri" requests, improves connectivity and improves range, and also enables fast switching between Apple devices connected to the same iCloud account.
What do you think of Samsung's improved Galaxy Buds+? Let us know in the comments.
Tag: Samsung
[ 81 comments ]
Top Rated Comments
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4 days ago at 03:25 pm
"those who use both iOS and Android may still want to go for the regular AirPods because of the H1 chip functionality."
Not sure it's fair to drop a line like that at the end of a review, without at least a mention of what the H1 chip does for those not familiar... Not everyone follows the progression of chips from W1 to H1 and so on. :)
For those wondering, a really over-simplified description is that the H1 chips help improve bluetooth connections, support "Hey Siri" and improve power use.
And Bose has been able to switch between 2 devices seamlessly without requiring H1, whereas Apple still can't figure out automatically which device I'm using and requires me to manually switch. Other than the initial pairing, I see no benefits in these chips.
4 days ago at 04:06 pm
“sound better than the AirPods, but there's not a huge difference. There is a major difference in sound quality compared to the AirPods Pro in favor of the AirPods Pro”
How is this true as I have both AirPods (Gen 2) and AirPods Pro and they sound exactly the same.
How is this true as I have both AirPods (Gen 2) and AirPods Pro and they sound exactly the same.
4 days ago at 06:42 pm
remember when the forum was LIT UP with people saying AirPods were a failure. “The design is garbage” “people will lose them” “too expensive”
and now AirPods seem to be a benchmark for other competition
and now AirPods seem to be a benchmark for other competition
4 days ago at 05:06 pm
How does that work? How do Bose (you don’t specify which headset) know the difference between my MacBook Pro and Apple Watch and just start working with it?
it has two simultaneous connections to the last two devices you paired with, and picks up the sound from whatever device is broadcasting sound when you the headphones on. It's the QuietComfort 35. I don't know how they do it, but I can switch between iPad and iPhone instantly.
I would have expected Apple's approach to be smarter than that and somehow magically figure out that if start the music app on my phone and have my AirPods in that that's where I want the sound to go.
4 days ago at 03:51 pm
I ordered a pair to try out.....(kind of a headset junkie) in the video he is wrong about not getting the multipoint connection... this is straight form Samsung website
Multi-point connection is available with devices using Bluetooth 5.0.
it doesn't say Android only
Multi-point connection is available with devices using Bluetooth 5.0.
it doesn't say Android only
4 days ago at 03:02 pm
"those who use both iOS and Android may still want to go for the regular AirPods because of the H1 chip functionality."
Not sure it's fair to drop a line like that at the end of a review, without at least a mention of what the H1 chip does for those not familiar... Not everyone follows the progression of chips from W1 to H1 and so on. :-)
For those wondering, a really over-simplified description is that the H1 chips help improve bluetooth connections, support "Hey Siri" and improve power use.
Not sure it's fair to drop a line like that at the end of a review, without at least a mention of what the H1 chip does for those not familiar... Not everyone follows the progression of chips from W1 to H1 and so on. :-)
For those wondering, a really over-simplified description is that the H1 chips help improve bluetooth connections, support "Hey Siri" and improve power use.
4 days ago at 03:07 am
Sorry, but I wouldn’t give these copycat artists $10 for them. And it’s disappointing the review doesn’t even wince at Samsung’s theft here, as surely it would if AppleInsider copied and pasted their review and passed it off as their own.
Where’s the integrity? None to find any here.
4 days ago at 03:03 pm
I love how the Galaxy Buds+ are $100 cheaper than Apple’s AirPods Pro and have 11 hours of battery life — that’s more than double the 4.5 hour battery life of the AirPods Pro. I do favor audio quality, however, so I’d rather spend the extra $100 to get better sound quality and active noise cancellation.
4 days ago at 07:29 pm
Just to offer a contrasting view for those who are applauding the Bose sound switching: I’ve owned 5 pairs of Bose headphones, and the QC35s are garbage.
The multiple devices is a joke. I’ll be sitting on a plane with my phone in front of me, screen powered on, playing a song from an app. And yet it’ll constantly be searching for my laptop, which is asleep in the overhead.
And don’t get me started on those ridiculously loud notifications.
To each his own, but my AirPod Pros have replaces my Bose headphones for 97% of use cases. Although yes ideally one day intelligent device switching will work better on AirPods.
The multiple devices is a joke. I’ll be sitting on a plane with my phone in front of me, screen powered on, playing a song from an app. And yet it’ll constantly be searching for my laptop, which is asleep in the overhead.
And don’t get me started on those ridiculously loud notifications.
To each his own, but my AirPod Pros have replaces my Bose headphones for 97% of use cases. Although yes ideally one day intelligent device switching will work better on AirPods.
4 days ago at 03:33 pm
"those who use both iOS and Android may still want to go for the regular AirPods because of the H1 chip functionality."
Not sure it's fair to drop a line like that at the end of a review, without at least a mention of what the H1 chip does for those not familiar... Not everyone follows the progression of chips from W1 to H1 and so on. :)
For those wondering, a really over-simplified description is that the H1 chips help improve bluetooth connections, support "Hey Siri" and improve power use.
Fair enough. I've added a mention of what the H1 chip does for anyone who is not already familiar with AirPods functionality.
[ Read All Comments ]
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