Apple's AirPods Pro 2 vs. Samsung's Galaxy Buds3 Pro

Samsung this week introduced its latest earbuds, the Galaxy Buds3 Pro, which look quite a bit like Apple's AirPods Pro 2. Given the similarities, we thought we'd compare Samsung's new earbuds to the AirPods Pro.


Design wise, you could potentially mistake Samsung's Galaxy Buds3 Pro for the AirPods Pro. The Buds3 Pro have the same general shape and a silicone tip, though it's worth noting that the Buds3 Pro come in both white and gray, so you're not limited to white as you are with the AirPods Pro 2. The charging case is similar to the AirPods Charging Case too, but there's a transparent upper portion.

The Buds3 Pro sound great out of the box, but there is an option to adjust the sound using the equalizer, which isn't possible with the AirPods Pro 2. The Active Noise Cancellation and the "Ambient Mode" or transparency on the Buds3 Pro work as well as those features on the AirPods Pro, and it's tough to tell the difference between them.

Samsung's Buds3 Pro do not perform as well as the AirPods Pro when it comes to ambient noise detection to adjust sound, however. The AirPods Pro can adjust sound when someone is speaking to you so you can hear them, but the Buds3 Pro struggled to do the same.

The Buds3 Pro have a built-in LED light for aesthetics, and there are controls on the stem for adjusting volume. Samsung also added an interpreter mode for translating foreign languages when connected to the most recent Galaxy phones, but the feature wasn't super accurate.

Though the Buds3 Pro are similar to the AirPods Pro 2, it's hard to see the two as competitors because you're only going to want to use the Buds3 Pro with Android devices, while the AirPods Pro 2 work best with Apple devices. iPhone users should stick with the AirPods, while Samsung users will want to check out the Buds3 Pro.

Samsung's Galaxy Buds3 Pro are priced at $250, which is the same price as the AirPods Pro 2. Pre-orders are available now ahead of a July 24 launch date.

Tag: Samsung

Popular Stories

iOS 26 Feature

iOS 26.1 to iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Wednesday October 1, 2025 1:26 pm PDT by
iOS 26 was released last month, but the software train never stops, and iOS 26.1 beta testing is already underway. So far, iOS 26.1 makes both Apple Intelligence and Live Translation on compatible AirPods available in additional languages, and it includes some other minor changes across Apple Music, Calendar, Photos, and Safari. More features and changes will follow in future versions,...
iPhone 17 vs Air and Pros Feature

New iPhones See 'Stronger Than Expected' Demand With One Exception

Thursday October 2, 2025 7:26 am PDT by
Nearly two weeks after the iPhone 17 series launched, analysts at investment banking firm Morgan Stanley said demand for the devices has been "modestly stronger than we originally expected," based on a combination of extended shipping estimates on Apple's online store and information it gathered from Apple's supply chain. There has been strong early demand for the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro,...
macbook air prime day 2025

M5 MacBook Air: Release Date, Features, and Performance Predictions

Friday October 3, 2025 3:39 am PDT by
The MacBook Air is Apple's most popular laptop – a thin, fanless machine that wields quiet power thanks to the efficiency of Apple silicon. While the M4 model isn't exactly old, attention is already turning to its successor. Apple doesn't telegraph new product launches ahead of time, but we can draw a surprisingly clear picture of what to expect by looking at Apple's silicon roadmap,...
iOS 26 Feature

iOS 26 Adds These 200 New Features and Changes to Your iPhone

Saturday October 4, 2025 8:19 am PDT by
Apple's website offers a list of nearly 200 new features and changes (PDF file) included in the software update, released last month. Apple also shared equivalent lists for iPadOS 26 and macOS Tahoe. iOS 26 is compatible with the iPhone 11 and newer. To install the update, open the Settings app on your iPhone, tap on General, and tap on Software Update. Below, we have highlighted eight ...
john ternus on stage

Gurman: Major Apple Leadership Shakeup Impending With John Ternus as Next CEO

Monday October 6, 2025 6:21 am PDT by
Apple is entering its most significant leadership transition in more than a decade as multiple senior executives prepare to depart and CEO Tim Cook begins to shape the company's next generation of leaders, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman explained that Jeff Williams, who was viewed as Cook's potential successor for several...
Tim Cook Rainbow

Apple Event in October? Here's What to Expect

Monday September 29, 2025 9:31 am PDT by
Apple's annual iPhone event is in the rearview mirror, but rumors suggest the company plans to release a handful of additional products before the year ends. Will there be another Apple event this October? We discuss the possibility below. Apple in October Apple's most recent October events were in 2021 and 2023. In 2022 and 2024, Apple did not host an October event. Instead, it...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: Leaks Reveal What Apple Products Are Coming Next

Friday October 3, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
On this episode of The MacRumors Show, we discuss the latest leaks about the next-generation iPad Pro, MacBook Pro, Studio Display, and Vision Pro. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos Earlier this week, an apparent unboxing video of an updated iPad Pro with the M5 chip was shared online. The same YouTube account leaked the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 chip...
ipad pro 2024

Next iPad Pro to Have Two Key Features, But One Rumor Still Uncertain

Sunday October 5, 2025 7:00 am PDT by
The next iPad Pro models are rumored to feature two key upgrades, including Apple's M5 chip, and an increased minimum of 12GB of RAM. Last week, apparent unboxing videos for the next-generation 13-inch iPad Pro were uploaded to YouTube by Russian channels Wylsacom and Romancev768. The same YouTube channels leaked the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 chip before it was announced by Apple...

Top Rated Comments

jimbobb24 Avatar
16 months ago
The Buds3 3 have a distinctive look. I can't quite place it but they really remind me of something else, especially the white ones. It will come to me in a minute. Their new watch also reminds me of something.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
XboxEvolved Avatar
16 months ago
It’s really odd to me that Samsung tries to rip on Apple and constantly also steals from them as well.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
knappeduivel Avatar
16 months ago

I just dropped an APP2 in a bowl of vinegar and chilli oil (alongside some dumplings) 30 minutes ago. Pulled the thing out, looking very yellow... Ran it under a tap for 30 seconds with a good soapy scrub to return it to pure white. A quick dry with a tissue, and it's working fine. I'm not saying this would not be the case with Buds3, but it seemed topical!
Please repeat this with the Buds3 for comparison. Thanks!
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Hogswarts Avatar
16 months ago
While AirPods Pro don't have a traditional equalizer, they do support Headphone Accommodations (HA) on iPhone, iPad and soon on macOS Sequoia. HA not only provides a reasonably quick way to adjust tonality of media consumed but also to adjust how transparency mode sounds... and you can even enter formal audiogram data. For people with mild to moderately impaired hearing, $200 AirPods Pro with HA sound far better for both speech and music than do traditional hearing aids costing many times more, and AirPods switch automatically between Apple devices. AirPods Max also support HA but are obviously less convenient to carry around. Some Beats headphones and buds also support it.
I just wish tvOS and visionOS supported HA.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CausticSoda Avatar
16 months ago
I just dropped an APP2 in a bowl of vinegar and chilli oil (alongside some dumplings) 30 minutes ago. Pulled the thing out, looking very yellow... Ran it under a tap for 30 seconds with a good soapy scrub to return it to pure white. A quick dry with a tissue, and it's working fine. I'm not saying this would not be the case with Buds3, but it seemed topical!
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BigBrotherNowWatching Avatar
16 months ago
Airpos Pro 2 compared to the 60 bucks soundcore liberty 2?

Soundcore wins so clear, you regret buying Apple headphones.


But HomePod 1 still sounds great.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)