Samsung's new Galaxy Buds 3 and Buds 3 Pro look more like AirPods

Key Takeaways

Samsung’s new Galaxy Buds 3 and Buds 3 Pro feature updated designs and improved specs, including better audio quality and adaptive ANC.
Galaxy Buds 3 are water- and dust-resistant with lesser battery life but a bigger case capacity; while Buds 3 Pro have dual dynamic and planar drivers.
Buds 3 have an unsealed fit similar to AirPods, while Buds 3 Pro come with silicone ear tips for better isolation and noise-cancellation.

Samsung is releasing two new pairs of earbuds to add to its lineup, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 and Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. Both of the new pairs of noise-cancelling earbuds look quite different from their predecessors, taking on a new design with a stem rather than being round stemless earbuds, making them look a bit more like AirPods this time around. Along with the updated design, they come with some better specs than the previous generations of Samsung Galaxy Buds before.

6 Galaxy Buds 3 features we want to see

If the forthcoming Galaxy Buds 3 feature a better IP rating, better touch controls, and four other upgrades, I’m sold.

The Samsungn Galaxy Buds 3 earbuds and case resting on a wooden surface.

Sasmsung’s buds get a new look

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 will feature single amp dynamic drivers, with support for a transfer rate of up to 24-bit/96kHz, making for better quality audio than the Galaxy Buds 2. They also feature adaptive ANC and EQ features, along with voice-activated ambient mode, which is useful for when you need to talk to someone in public and switch from noise cancelling to ambient mode quickly. The earbuds themselves have a smaller battery than before, but the case has a bigger one. So while the earbuds won’t last quite as long each session at five hours with noise cancelling on and six hours with noise cancelling off, the case will hold 24 hours of battery life with noise cancelling on and 30 with noise-canceling off.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 3

The Galaxy Buds 3 look a lot like AirPods. With that out of the way, their ANC, accent light, and improved audio quality could make them really standout.

Battery Life: 5 hours (ANC on), 6 hours (ANC off)
Charging Case Included?: Yes
Microphones: 3
Brand: Samsung
Bluetooth: Yes
Price: $180
IP Rating: IP57
Case battery: 24 hours (ANC on), 30 hours (ANC off)
Dimensions and weight (earbuds): 20.3 x 18.2 x 31.9 mm, 4.8 grams
Noise Cancellation: Yes
Max talk time: 4 hours
Max playback time: 6 hours
Maximum play time (overall): 30 hours

A very notable improvement on the Galaxy Buds 3 is that they’re IP57 water- and dust-resistant, meaning dust won’t get into the important internal components, and they can withstand full immersion in one meter of water for up to 30 minutes. This is a significant improvement from the Galaxy Buds 2, which were only IPX2. On the design side, Samsung moved away from having an in-ear silicone ear tip for the Galaxy Buds 3, making for an unsealed fit akin to the original AirPods. This doesn’t bode well for noise-cancellation performance, along with being bad for passive isolation. The earbuds will come in white and silver colorways.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro earbuds being held in a hand.

Meanwhile, 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 of that. Most notably, the Galaxy Buds Pro 3 will feature dual amp dynamic and planar drivers, which is pretty rare for regular consumer earbuds. The battery life of the earbuds are also a bit lower than the previous Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, lasting 6 hours with noise cancelling on and 7 hours with noise cancelling off, but the case holds 30 hours of battery life total.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro

The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are Samsung’s premium wireless earbuds with improved audio quality, adaptive audio that adjusts based on 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 Rating: IP57
Dimensions and weight (earbuds): 19.8 x 18.1 x 33.2 mm, 5.4 grams
Colors: White, silver
Noise Cancellation: Yes
Earbud weight: 5.4 grams
Max talk time: 4 hours
Max playback time: 7 hours
Maximum play time (overall): 30 hours

These Pro earbuds, unlike the Galaxy Buds 3, will have silicone ear tips for a sealed fit, making them similar to another pair of AirPods, the AirPods Pro. This design is good for better isolation and noise cancellation 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 for purchase on July 24, with the Galaxy Buds 3 retailing starting at $210, and the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro for $280 — but are both on sale right now.