A couple of months ago, Samsung unveiled its latest lineup of premium truly wireless earbuds. The new hearables were dubbed the Galaxy Buds 3 and Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. But unlike previous generations, the Galaxy Buds 3 series are more differentiated and meet different requirements at varying budgets. So which one should you buy? Read on to find out.
1. Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro or Galaxy Buds 3: Design
One of the biggest changes in the Galaxy Buds series is the overhaul in design. The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro hasn’t seen a massive change, retaining the silicon ear tips but housing new LED strips. These help indicate the charging states and much more. On the other hand, the vanilla Galaxy Buds 3 no longer has silicon ear tips, changing to a semi in-ear design. So Samsung is now offering its premium hearables just like Apple with its AirPods and AirPods Pro.
Another notable change is to the charging case itself on both models, with the lid on the top featuring a transparent design. To recall, the Galaxy Buds 2 and Buds 2 Pro offered an in-design design with ear tips, meaning there is a distinct audio experience in the base and Pro options. For protection, the Galaxy Buds 3 series arrives with an IP57 rating for water and dust resistance.
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2. Specifications
Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 3 has a one way 11mm dynamic driver while the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro houses a dual driver setup with a 10.5mm dynamic driver with an additional 6.1mm planar. Both versions support 24bit Hi-Fi Audio and 360 Audio with Direct Multi Channel support. There is even support for multiple audio codes like the SSC (Samsung Seamless Codec) HiFi, SSC UHQ (Samsung Proprietary), AAC, and SBC.
The Buds 3 Pro has a larger 53mAh battery pack in the earbuds, while the Buds 3 has a 48mAh cell. The charging case houses a 515mAh battery. You can pair the duo via Bluetooth 5.4, which supports Auto Switch as well. Despite the changes in design, the Galaxy Buds 3 still offers ANC functionality (Active Noise Cancellation) and equips a total of 3 Mics + VPU (Voice Pickup Unit) to identify the surrounding sound and automatically adjust the optimal level of noise and sound. Meanwhile, the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro also has similar features but with an Ambient sound and Voice Detect for an even better listening experience.
3. So which one should you buy?
I actually support Samsung’s decision to make the vanilla and Pro options more distinct. There are plenty of people who still prefer the semi in-ear design. Not a lot of premium options of this kind exist, so it’s welcomed that we finally have an offering from Samsung as well. The company is selling the Galaxy Buds 3 for Rs 14,999, while the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro is priced at 19,999 INR. So if you prefer the semi in-ear design, then the Galaxy Buds 3 is a great pair for you. But if you want Samsung’s best earbuds and have money to spend, the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro can rival even the AirPods Pro.
