The Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are here, guys! We enjoyed the previous Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, but after being released in August 2022, they were due for an upgrade. And, as expected, Samsung delivered exactly that. On July 10, it debuted a whole new version of its flagship earphones during its Unpacked event.
There are several notable upgrades here, including a striking new look, an improved two-way speaker system, AI-enhanced noise cancellation, and smart functions. These results could indicate that the new Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro 3 are among the best earbuds of 2024, so here’s what you need to know.
SAMSUNG GALAXY BUDS 3 PRO
PRICE AND RELEASE DATE
On July 10, 2024, Samsung Unpacked the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, which are now available for instant ordering. Customers who buy from Samsung.com before July 23rd will receive a free protective clip cover.
The Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are priced at $249 / £219 (there is currently no indication on an Australian launch).
That’s a slight increase from the previous price in the US, where the Buds 2 Pro cost $229 / £219 / AU$349 at launch.
The more basic Samsung Galaxy Buds 3, which were also revealed at Samsung Unpacked, have also seen a price increase, rising from $150 / £140 to $179 / £159. Samsung’s most cheap Galaxy Buds, the Galaxy Buds FE, were released in 2023 for $99 / £99 / AU$199. The Pro buds are undoubtedly the premium ones in terms of price and features.
For comparison, you’ll officially pay $249 / £229 / AU$399 for the AirPods Pro 2.
WHAT’S NEW
The most striking new feature is the revamped design, which has AirPods-like sticks as well as ‘Blade Lights’. These are little LED strips running down the stems of each earbud, designed to indicate their state or possibly assist you find them. The new sticks also allow you to manage your earphones by swiping up and down or pinching them, much like AirPods Pro 2. Unlike the standard Buds 3, which sit just outside your ear canal, the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are in-ear buds that fit inside your ear canals for improved acoustic isolation. That often translates to better bass.
The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro have dual amplifiers that power upgraded two-way drivers: one 10.5mm dynamic speaker for mids and bass and one 6.1mm planar driver for treble. The Buds 3 Pro support standard Bluetooth codecs as well as Samsung Seamless Codec in both HiFi and UHQ versions, allowing for high-resolution streaming at up to 24-bit/96kHz when used with a Samsung Galaxy S23 or later, a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 / Z Flip 5 or later, or a Tab S9 series.
The active noise cancellation is improved with ambient sound and speech detection, which can distinguish between human voices and other sounds. When you talk, it detects your voice and automatically switches to Ambient Mode, lowering the volume of whatever material you’re listening to. It also promises to do the same when others talk to you.
There is machine learning-based noise reduction for voice calls, as well as a new Super Wideband call capability for improved audio quality – the buds promise to’recreate’ the caller’s voice for smoother communication. If you own a Galaxy Z Fold 6 or Galaxy Z Flip 6, you can utilize the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro with their Interpreter feature to get real-time language translation in your ears without having to do anything – the promise is that they’ll recognize the other language and begin translating automatically.
The battery life is promised to be 6 hours / 26 hours with ANC on and 7 hours / 30 hours without ANC. That is hardly a class-leading performance, but it is an improvement over the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro’s 5 / 18 hours with ANC on.
NEWS AND RUMORS
Since late April 2024, the rumor mill has really gotten into action for the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, including a June 25 leaked image of what appears to be the Buds 3 Pro’s cover, with a transparent (decidedly Nothing-y lid) published on the official Samsung forums (of all places!) by member AffinityNexa.
We also have a leak from June 27, when Evan Blass, a well-known industry leaker, shared additional high-resolution photos of two pairs of Galaxy Buds and two Galaxy Watch variants on X.
https://t.co/ruNJDdbGwx
When Samsung's own community is the place to leak products pic.twitter.com/0fCW8RHHYs— Chun Bhai (@chunvn8888) June 21, 2024
This is consistent with a reported image from June 9 showing Galaxy earbuds with stems that resemble AirPods, as well as a major leak on June 6 claiming to reveal sonic enhancements, smarter ANC, and ‘blade lights’ for both the Buds 3 Pro and the Buds 3. According to recent leaks, the speculated stems will include ‘pinch’ capability, akin to the AirPods 2 Pro and Nothing Ear (a).
Prior to this, regulatory filings occurred on April 25, indicating that the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro charging cover will have a rated capacity of 500mAh (a usual capacity of 515mAh). That’s a little disappointing, but it matches the case for the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro – 18 hours of overall use – thus it appears as though battery life will be similar (no word yet on the batteries in the individual Galaxy Buds 3 Pro earbuds though).
Obviously, none of this is official. What we can tell you is that Samsung will release the Samsung Galaxy Buds FE in October 2023, giving you a cheap option for wireless earbuds.
We can also tell you about an improvement to the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro: these earbuds can now handle live translation, thanks to Galaxy AI and the brand new Galaxy S24, and this is very certainly a feature that will be added to the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro when they are released.
Samsung has also shown off a Galaxy Buds cover with an OLED screen, although this appears to be an experimental prototype and will not be included in the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro.
WHAT WE WANT TO SEE
It’s fair to say that Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro rumors and leaks are gaining traction ahead of July 10. That also applies to the conventional Samsung Galaxy Buds 3; if recent June leaks are to be believed, they may make an appearance as well.
While we wait for additional rumors, we have a few suggestions for how Samsung may improve on the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro wireless earbuds, which, despite their lackluster battery life, are already impressive.
1. More interesting colors
Wireless earphones are no longer just about music; they are also fashion statements. The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro offered a somewhat fascinating bora purple hue with the more traditional black and white options, but we believe the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro can go better. Samsung’s phones are colorful enough, so why not the wireless earbuds?
2. Better battery life
Of course, the perennial request with any new pair of wireless earbuds: better battery life. With active noise cancelling on, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro only manage five hours between charges, which isn’t great, although that goes up to 18 hours with the case. Let’s hope Samsung can work some technological magic and extend that time further.
3. Improved AI
The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro allow you to communicate with Bixby, but we believe Samsung can improve in the ChatGPT era.
Samsung’s current phones are all jam-packed with AI features, so we’re hoping that translates to the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro next year, giving you a truly smart and capable AI assistant built right into your earbuds.
4. The same price
We don’t mind paying for quality, and we realize that getting the greatest technology to function in such a small place is pricey – but we’re hoping that Samsung can keep the Galaxy Buds Pro series priced around $229 / £219 / AU$349. For contrast, the AirPods Pro 2 costs $249 / £249 / AU$399.
5. Customizable noise cancelling
Better audio is always a given when it comes to a wishlist for new wireless earbuds, but we’ll bring it up. In particular, we’d like to see a little more granularity in the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro’s active noise cancellation – possibly a range of modes, as some competitors have.
