Samsung's Galaxy Buds 3 Pro Made Me Reconsider My Loyalty To Apple Products - And They're $50 Off

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• The Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro earbuds present competitory noise-canceling tech, all-day comfort, and an enjoyable sound profile.
• These premium buds whitethorn not beryllium a logical acquisition for iPhone users.  
• The charging lawsuit isn't IP-rated, truthful it's unclear if it has immoderate h2o resistance.

Samsung's Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are presently $200, which is $50 disconnected for Amazon's Big Spring Sale. 

If you're for illustration me, earbuds don't clasp an important spot successful your life, speech from accompanying you connected workouts and taking hands-free calls connected nan go. Outside those usage cases, my bosom lies pinch over-ear headphones, and location are immoderate weeks erstwhile my earbuds cod particulate because I don't usage them arsenic often.

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I've sworn by my AirPods Pro 2 for years; though I've tested plentifulness of earbuds, I conscionable can't discontinue my AirPods. After trying Samsung's caller Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, I'm opening to mobility my loyalty to Apple. Even if I was consenting to alteration teams, are nan Galaxy Buds 3 Pro moreover a logical acquisition for iPhone users? Here's nan answer.

I'll commencement by stating nan obvious: Samsung's latest earbuds person a very acquainted design. If you bargain these earbuds successful white, they'll beryllium moreover much familiar. Samsung made waves erstwhile announcing nan Galaxy Buds 3 Pro because they look precisely for illustration Apple's AirPods. If I clasp them broadside by broadside and squint, I tin hardly show nan 2 apart.

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There are immoderate cardinal creation differences betwixt Samsung and Apple's earbuds, though. Apple's AirPods lawsuit sports a much rounded shape, while Samsung's lawsuit is level connected nan bottom, pinch LED strips that beat whenever nan buds are charging aliases successful pairing mode beaming down nan earbud stems.

Unlike successful erstwhile years, Samsung besides opted for a much angular, move bud-and-stem design, pinch color-coded stripes crossed nan committee to thief users separate betwixt nan near and correct sides. Together, these creation changes springiness disconnected AirPods vibes but are yet beneficial for nan personification experience.

Case successful point: The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro person an awesome sound, acknowledgment to nan 10.5mm move and 6.1mm planar drivers successful each bud. The sound floor plan is vibrant, full, and exciting. When I queued Gunna's Bottom, the bass was deep, punchy, and tight, while nan rapper's vocals and instrumentals were clear and smooth. This was each achieved without tweaking immoderate settings and profiles, mind you.

Songs for illustration The 1975's Girls, with high-pitched guitar riffs, sounded agleam but teetered connected nan statement of piercing astatine large volumes. Compared to my AirPods, nan Galaxy Buds sound somewhat smoother, and nan little frequencies person a punchier, fuller presence. For sound capacity alone, I'm inclined to prime up nan Galaxy Buds complete my AirPods.

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Samsung's earbuds are equipped pinch nan expected ANC and Ambient sound modes. The noise-canceling tech is competitory and offers fantabulous protection from boisterous environments for illustration market stores and gyms, wherever I tested them nan most.

The Ambient sound mode isn't arsenic awesome arsenic Apple's Transparency Mode, which is much natural-sounding. Samsung's type has a noticeable hiss that you tin still perceive erstwhile your euphony is connected debased volume. Once you walk nan 50% loudness threshold, nan hiss goes away.

Also: Why nan Galaxy Buds 3 inevitably looked for illustration AirPods, according to Samsung's creation exec

I had nary issues wearing nan Galaxy Buds each day, and they felt conscionable arsenic comfortable successful my ears arsenic my AirPods. On nan artillery life front, nan Galaxy Buds 3 Pro boasts a competitory seven-hour longevity, and nan charging lawsuit offers an further 23 hours of playtime.

Since I utilized nan Galaxy Buds Pro 3 connected my iPhone 14, I missed retired connected immoderate Samsung-specific package features for illustration instrumentality location search and 360 Audio, Samsung's type of spatial audio. There's besides nary Galaxy Wearables/Buds-specific companion app successful Apple's App Store, truthful a batch of this wasn't surprising.

I besides missed retired connected Interpreter Mode, a real-time translator instrumentality embedded successful nan Galaxy Buds powered by Galaxy AI. If these fancy features aren't your apical priority, however, past who's to opportunity you can't usage Samsung earbuds pinch your iPhone?

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The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro person a flimsy separator complete my AirPods erstwhile it comes to durability. My AirPods Pro 2 (Lightning) person an IPX4 rating, which intends nan lawsuit tin withstand sprinkles of rain, and nan earbuds tin past a sweaty workout. If I were to driblet them successful nan excavation aliases toilet and not instantly retrieve them, they mightiness not unrecorded on.

The Galaxy Buds person an IP57 rating, meaning nan earbuds tin strengthen drops successful very shallow h2o for up to 30 minutes. The case, however, doesn't person an IP rating, truthful it is unclear really good it is protected from water.

ZDNET's buying advice

Overall, nan Galaxy Buds 3 Pro make a awesome companion for group who bask great-sounding euphony successful a mini and portable shape factor. People pinch Samsung Galaxy phones tin people entree each nan earbuds' astir singular and premium features, but there's nary denying that these earbuds sound phenomenal.

If you want earbuds that connection premium features for illustration spatial audio and in-ear discovery and are compatible pinch all operating systems, see nan Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds. If you're looking for fund earbuds that present reliable noise-canceling and awesome sound, effort nan JLab JBuds ANC 3.