Alongside the Galaxy S20 series and the Galaxy Z Flip, Samsung also announced the Galaxy Buds+. The company’s newest truly wireless earbuds bring an improvement in sound quality and battery life. So, how do the new and improved Galaxy Buds compare to the AirPods Pro? Are they even in the same league? Let’s find out.
The Galaxy Buds+ are not the direct competitors to the AirPods Pro. While they do bring improvements over the Galaxy Buds, they don’t add any new features which we find in other high-end wireless earbuds. Most importantly, they lack active noise cancelation which has become a staple feature of premium truly wireless earbuds. Nonetheless, the Galaxy Buds+ will be inevitably compared to the AirPods Pro. Let’s have a look at how Samsung’s best wireless earbuds compare to the AirPods Pro.
AirPods Pro vs Samsung Galaxy Buds+ Comparison
Design
The AirPods Pro and the Galaxy Buds+ have a design that’s very different from each other. While the Buds+ look just like other truly wireless earbuds out there, the AirPods Pro has a small tail at the bottom which gives it a very unique look. Both earbuds have an in-ear design that helps them block out noise. This also helps them fit snuggly in one’s ears. Both the earbuds weigh about the same and can be comfortably worn for longer periods of time.
The AirPods Pro is rated sweat-resistant which makes them ideal for use while one is working out. The Galaxy Buds+ lack any kind of IP rating. On the flip side, the Galaxy Buds+ are available in three different colors — Black, White, and Blue — while the AirPods Pro is only available in white.
Noise Cancelation
This is a big area of difference between the Galaxy Buds+ and the AirPods Pro. The Buds+ feature passive noise isolation while the AirPods Pro feature active noise cancelation. Samsung’s earbuds passively block noise via their design and they only work when one is playing back music or other content on the earbuds. ANC on the AirPods Pro is miles ahead of noise isolation. The earbuds actively work to cancel out background noise. In fact, they even work when you have them plugged into your ear but are not playing back any content.
While ANC is superior, one has to pay for it in terms of battery life which perhaps explains why the AirPods Pro has less than half the battery life of the Galaxy Buds+.
Sound Quality
The Galaxy Buds+ offer superior sound quality when compared to the original Galaxy Buds. However, their sound quality pales in comparison to the AirPods Pro. The latter’s sound quality is easily among the best in the market today and while the sound output from the Buds+ is decent, they are nowhere close to what the AirPods Pro offer.
The Galaxy Buds+ have a very neutral sound quality, while the AirPods Pro offers a solid amount of bass which many people tend to prefer. The sound quality of the AirPods Pro is further enhanced by active noise cancelation which does a great job of canceling out all background noise.
Battery Life
The Galaxy Buds+ might lack ANC but they make up for it in the battery life department. The earbuds are rated to offer a battery life of 11 hours on a single charge. This is further extended by another 11 hours by the bundled charging case. Therefore, the Galaxy Buds+ offer a total battery life of 22 hours.
In comparison, the AirPods Pro is rated to offer a battery life of 4.5 hours on a single charge. This can be increased to 5 hours if one uses them with ANC turned off. The bundled charging case is good enough to bump the battery life to around 24 hours.
The Galaxy Buds+ offer notably longer battery life than the AirPods Pro. This can be useful if you use the buds for long hours at a stretch as you won’t have to worry about them running out of battery. After factoring in the additional charge offered by the charging case though, things are pretty much even.
Other Features
If you are heavily invested in Apple’s ecosystem, the AirPods Pro will integrate easily with them. You can seamlessly switch between your iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch with you AirPods pro without having to pair the earbuds with each one of them. The AirPods Pro also features “Hey Siri” functionality which one can use to make calls, get other information, play/pause music, and more. The AirPods Pro also features many useful gestures to play/pause music, quickly enable Transparency mode, and more.
While the Galaxy Buds+ can also be paired with an iPhone, you will not get the same level of features as the AirPods Pro. The Galaxy Buds+ also offer useful gestures but not all of them work when the earbuds are paired with an iPhone.
Price
The Galaxy Buds+ make up for the lack of ANC and inferior sound quality with their price tag. The earbuds carry an MSRP of $149, while the AirPods Pro retail for $249 in the United States. That’s a massive $100 difference between the two which can very well tilt many to go for the Galaxy Buds+. The price tag of the Galaxy Buds+ makes them a direct competitor to the AirPods rather than the AirPods Pro.
Which One Should You Buy?
If you own an iPhone, the AirPods Pro is a no-brainer for you due to their superior sound quality, ANC, and how neatly they integrate with other Apple products. In case the AirPods Pro are above your budget, you should go for the regular AirPods.
Galaxy Buds+
Pros
- Significantly longer battery life
- Lower price tag
- Decent noise isolation
- Lighter
Cons
- No active noise cancelation
- Does not integrate well into Apple’s ecosystem
AirPods Pro
Pros
- Superior sound quality
- Better bass
- Integrates well into Apple’s ecosystem
- Active noise cancelation
Cons
- Expensive compared to Galaxy Buds+
- Average battery life
What are your thoughts on the Galaxy Buds+? Are you using the AirPods Pro already? Drop a comment and let us know!
