Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro Review – Price, Design, and More

Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro offers better sound and microphone quality with multipoint pairing and spatial audio support. They don’t provide the same noise cancellation level as over-ear headphones or high-end earbuds’ sound quality. But they offer just enough of both to be competitive for their price.

For

• IPX7 waterproof
• Basic noise cancellation
• Simple touch controls

Against

• Flat, cramped sound
• No Google Assistant / Siri support
• Bulge out of the ear

Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro Review

When talking around the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro, the calmest way to explain them. They’re pretty much the Apple AirPods Pro equal to the new Samsung Galaxy S21 sequence of phones.

And yet, that doesn’t entirely summarize everything these true wireless earbuds can do.

Yes, both earbuds offer active noise cancellation. Yes, they both have audio spatial provisions that can type TV shows and movies more immersive. And yes, they together have five hours of battery life earlier than they want to recharge.

But the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro energies far outside that for people who own a Samsung phone and tablet – for those folks, these earbuds are the missing puzzle part that ties all in Samsung’s world composed.

And the Samsung Galaxy Clothing app that’s only obtainable on Android that you’ll want to use to unlock the Buds’ best topographies.

They also usage Samsung’s proprietary Scalable Audio that provisions UHQ audio cyclosis over Bluetooth at up to 24-bit / 96kHz, SmartThings Finder, and multi-mic recording.

It allows you to use the Buds as a lapel mic stand-in when you shoot videos on your Samsung phone.

The double-edged blade of the Galaxy Buds Pro so highly tailor to Samsung devices is that they don’t work with other devices.

Both other Android phones and iOS devices now don’t have an updated Galaxy Buds app.

And yes, we admonished Apple for a similar thing in our Apple AirPods Pro appraisal.

The plus is that if you’re observing for full-featured wireless earbuds that sound good, fit well, and are going to work healthily with your Samsung smartphone.

And don’t mind expenditure a bit more money on them than, say, for the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live – the Buds Pro is a significantly better option and is worth recommending to your friends and family who love their Samsung smartphones.

Price and Availability of Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro

• A release date was January 14, 2021
• Available for $199 / £219 / AU$349
• Not much more luxurious than the Galaxy Buds Live

The Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro hurl alongside the Samsung Galaxy S21 smartphone on January 14, 2021 (the day it announces at Samsung Unpacked) on Samsung’s website. It became widely obtainable starting on January 15, 2021.

In terms of charge, the Galaxy Buds Pro will usually you back $199 / £219 / AU$349. That’s pricey, but it makes intelligence that they’d cost a little more than their predecessors.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds Live, which price $169.99 / £179 / AU$319 at launch. Seeing how much better these are, they’re OK to value the upgrade.

Of course, Samsung’s put us in a weird location cathartic these true wireless earbuds so close together.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro’s release date originates five short months after the South Korean business launched the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live.

And less than a year afterward, the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus. It’s indistinct why Samsung is in such a hurry to get these out the door, but it’s causation a bit of a traffic jam.

That said, if you’re looking for cheaper replacements, you don’t have to look for: the Sony WF-SP800N and Jabra Elite 75t both proposal active noise cancellation for $50 less.

If you don’t mind hopping out on the Samsung-specific topographies, and there are more new entrances (like the Anker Soundcore Liberty 2 Pro and Philips Audio T8505) coming every day.

Design of Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro

• Available in three colors
• They’re long for earbuds and swell out of the ear.
• Equipped with lots of sensors and mics

It is available in three colors: Phantom Black, Phantom Silver, and Phantom Violet to match the new Samsung Galaxy S21, and the color of the Buds will match the color of the charging case that comes along with them.

Its shape like a little treasure chest – there’s a concave lid that unhinges in the middle and flips up.

It’s relatively compact, is nice when you want to slip it into your pocket, and has a status LED on the inside.

And outside of the case, turns green, yellow, and red on the battery is left.

They are back to their usual form as ear tip-equipped funnels of sound.

Funnel is probably the appropriate term to describe them as they’re reasonably long for earbuds, measuring in at just under an inch (20.8mm) long.

However, the Buds need all that real estate for their bevy of sensors, pogo pins, and microphones.

The Buds’ outside has a glossy, reflective plastic coating that is touch-capacitive and two more microphones with a wind guard that decreases ambient noise when walking outdoor.

To help alleviate some of these subjects, inside the container are two additional sets of ear tips to help you get a better seal, which is essential.

You’ll also find a USB-C charging cable without a head – part of Samsung’s move to reduce waste (yay!) and a possible hurdle to folks just picking up their first earbuds (boo).

Features of Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro

• Necessary noise cancellation needs to be stronger.
• IPX7 rating is class-leading, however
• SmartThings Find is a niche but could be a lifesaver.

The two significant marquee features of the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro are its active noise cancellation. And IPX7 waterproofing, the highest rating for Samsung earbuds.

Up to this point, Samsung’s earbuds consume only been IPX2 or IPX4 water-resistant. That destined that they were suitable for a few drops of rain or a bit of sweat. But they weren’t the kind of things you’d want to have around you during intense workouts.

With an IPX7 guarantee, the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro is protected against freshwater immersion for 30 minutes at a depth of up to one meter. I.e., if they fall into the bath for a minute or want to spotless them under some running water. You won’t have to concern about them. It’s a big stage up for Samsung and competitors the highest values of other earbuds.

It’s suitable for Samsung. The three built-in microphones assist the Galaxy Buds Pro does a better job of custody out noise than the Galaxy Buds Live. But they’re not better at noise annulment than, say, the Sony WF-1000XM4 or most prize over-ear headphones with ANC.

Just wearing them around the community for a few days could drastically reduce the sounds of loud air purifiers and humidifiers. But I didn’t stand a chance when someone else in the house was playing music. They’re good sufficient that you won’t be able to hear nearby conversations in another room. But anything louder than someone speaking will be perceptible through the ANC.

It also has a few Samsung-specific features worth calling attention to – there’s a hands-free Bixby mode, It works exactly as you’d expect. And a Find My Earbuds feature powered by SmartThings Find.

Audio Performance of Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro

• AKG tuned the sound
• The overall balanced, pleasant sound
• But lacks details and attendance.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds n’t design exclusively by Samsung – audio manufacturer AKG, a minor of Harman (which is, in fact, a subsidiary of Samsung). It also assisted in tuning these headphones to get the EQ just right.

The Buds Pro has a balanced sound quality that doesn’t skew too sibilant in the trebles or too bloated in the bass, which we like. But they are missing some clarity in the mids and highs and have a smaller, isolated soundstage. The dull sound is centered and not closely as ironic as we’d like it to be.

The result is a workman-like picture of the audio that pleases but doesn’t quite wow you like some higher-end earbuds would.

Thankfully, suppose you’re the kind of person who likes to tweak the EQ of your Buds. In that case, the Samsung Wearable app allows you to tweak the sound however you like (we quite liked the Dynamic setting). But none of them offer a more expansive, fuller soundstage.

It could change when Samsung introduces 360 Audio provisions later this year, which it says will bring “theater-like, multichannel sound” to the buds. But that feature wasn’t obtainable to us during our testing process.

For now, you’re stuck with humble stereo sound.

Worse, if you’re not utilizing a Samsung Galaxy device, the wide-ranging will be transmitted over SBC or AAC, both of which are lossy codecs.

That means there’s a marked change using them with Samsung’s Climbable Codec devices, like the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G. And a device that uses SBC, like the Google Pixel 3.

Battery Life of Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro

• Five hours per charge / 13 hrs from the case with ANC on
• Seven hours per charge / 20 hrs from the circumstance with ANC off
• That’s about regular for the noise-canceling earbuds.

Its battery life is moral for lively noise-canceling earbuds. But a real step miserable from the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus that offered 11 hours of playback period on a single charge.

Still, you’re getting ANC now, and Bixby and they’re together power hogs. Suppose you have ANC curved on it. If you turn it off, the sprouts previous seven to eight hours, and you can get upwards of 20 hours of battery from the case.

In real-world challenges, we found that the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro lasted about three days of constant use (more than five hours of hearing to a day). Or a bit less than a week when we were only listening to them in our free time (three-ish hours a day).

The Galaxy Buds Pro ropes fast charging, and within five minutes on the charger, there should be enough battery available for one hour of replay.

Fast charging takes home via the USB-C port, but wireless charging is also possible, although it’s a bit slower.

It’s reasonably competitive. The Sony WF-SP800N we mentioned earlier provides about nine hours of battery life via the earbuds and has another nine in the case. Simultaneously, the Jabra Elite 75t are good for eight hours of playback with 20 more hours of charge inside the case. It’s a close race with no clear winners.