Apple is $ 249 AirPods Pro is one of the best wireless earbuds you can buy, but Samsung accepts the standard carrier with the $ 200 Galaxy Buds Pro. The Buds Pro has almost the same functionality as the AirPods Pro, with active noise cancellation and spatial sound support. I tested both of these earplugs for two weeks to determine the pros and cons of each.
The AirPods Pro is an excellent pair of ANC wireless earbuds that work seamlessly with iOS and Apple devices. They support spatial sound (also known as virtual surround sound) and have a long lasting battery with ANC as the Galaxy Buds Pro. Sound quality is balanced, but they do not have a universal equalizer to change the sound in all programs. You can use the AirPods Pro on Android, though you lose some features like spatial sound and fast switching. Read our AirPods Pro review.
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In terms of specifications, the Galaxy Buds Pro is the most comparable of Samsung’s earbuds to the AirPods Pro. They sound good, with a strong bass response, but the battery life does not last as long as the AirPods Pro if ANC is active. They also do not work as well on iPhones as they, unlike previous Galaxy Buds, are not currently written in the Galaxy Wearable iOS app. Read our Galaxy Buds Pro review.
AirPods Pro is smaller, feels lighter in your ear
Both are in-ear buttons, but they have completely different designs. The AirPods Pro has a clickable handle that protrudes from the ear and it only appears white. The Galaxy Buds Pro comes in three colors (silver, black or purple) and has a round design with tap panels on the side and feels a little heavier in your ear than the AirPods Pro.
Each pair of earbuds also has small, medium or large exchange points. The fit will depend on your shape and size, but I had trouble with both earbuds to stay in properly if you exercise a lot or move around a lot. I actually found the safest fit with third-party foam tips for the AirPods Pro – I use those from Comply, but there are many other brands available. The Galaxy Bud Pro tips do not come with the wingtip lock found in previous models like the Galaxy Buds Plus, which helped to lock it securely in you. I have not yet been able to find any third-party tips for the Galaxy Buds Pro, but I look forward to seeing if it will improve the pace.
Read more: 11 Great AirPods Pro Tips to Try Now
The Galaxy Buds Pro has the upper hand when it comes to durability against water and sweat, with a higher rating of IPX7 compared to the IPX4 of the AirPods Pro. This can mean that they can immerse up to 30 meters of fresh water. I have yet to go swimming the Buds Pro or run through the washer, but I had no trouble splashing water on it. The AirPods Pro can withstand sweat and light splashes, but I would not suggest that they swim.
The AirPods Pro with third-party earbuds.
Lexy Savvides / CNET
Galaxy Buds Pro, better sound quality; AirPods Pro, better noise reduction
Both of these earbuds sound great, as long as you can get a safe fit. This is definitely a matter of preference, but I prefer the warmer sound profile and the more pronounced bass response of the Galaxy Bud Pro in terms of sound quality. You can also manually adjust the equalizer in the Galaxy Wearable app to a number of different presets, from bass enhancement to soft. The AirPods Pro has a more neutral audio profile that actually works in their favor if you want to jump between calls, listen to music or listen to podcasts. They have an adjustable equalizer that dynamically adjusts the sound.
While both do a good job of eliminating ambient noise, the AirPods Pro is a touch that is more effective at drowning out white noise, such as the sound of a fan or aircraft. Although you can adjust the ANC level on the Galaxy Buds Pro to high or low, I actually did not hear any difference between the two settings. I can also hear a very faint hiss if I have ANC on the Buds Pro if I do not listen to music.
Lexy Savvides / CNET
They each have spatial sound (Samsung calls it 360 sound) for a simulated surround sound experience when listening to movies and TV shows. Again, both sound good, but if I had to choose, I would go with the AirPods Pro as the effect sounds more natural. Note that 360 audio support is only on at the time of writing Samsung Galaxy S21 phones, while spatial audio on the AirPods Pro is available on any Apple device running iOS 14 or later.
But the Galaxy Buds Pro has one feature that the AirPods Pro lacks: voice tracking. The Galaxy Buds Pro automatically lowers the volume of your media when they notice you talking and then returns to your original settings 10 seconds after you stop. This is great if you want to chat quickly without having to actively turn off the buttons in the ambient sound (or pull one out of your ear).
You can listen to microphone samples in the video on this page to hear the difference for calls.
Look at this:
Compare Galaxy Buds Pro with AirPods Pro
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AirPods Pro: most reliable battery life
Samsung quotes the battery life on the Galaxy Buds Pro at five o’clock with ANC, but I never came close to this figure. When ANC was turned on, it was about four and a half hours I could carry the longest, which was disappointing in light of the claim. Apple quotes up to four and a half hours with ANC for the AirPods Pro, but I regularly exceeded it and was able to manage almost five hours of total listening time. According to Samsung, the Buds Pro can also last up to eight hours of listening time without ANC, but again, I could not reach the claim.
Each case also incurs a little extra cost, with the AirPods Pro 24 hours total juice and the Galaxy Buds Pro 18 hours extra. Both cases can be charged wirelessly, or you can connect Lightning on the AirPods Pro or USB-C on the Galaxy Buds Pro.
Read more: The best Apple AirPods deals right now
Smart features are similar on both
This is the first generation Samsung earbuds I have tested and are not compatible with the Galaxy Wearable iOS app. This means they will connect to an iPhone ($ 900 by Boost Mobile) via Bluetooth and you can activate ANC and use the default tap buttons, but you will not be able to change the settings. The AirPods Pro also works like regular Bluetooth earbuds on Android, but offers the most beautiful experience to customize settings on iOS.
You can summon Siri on the AirPods Pro or Bixby on the Galaxy Buds Pro by using your voice or with touch controls. Everyone reads text messages or notifications and lets you change the volume or call with your voice. There is still no way to call Google Assistant using your voice on the Galaxy Buds Pro, although you can activate Google Assistant on the Galaxy Buds Pro by assigning it as a long press on the touch panel, but you can not make calls with it yet.
Each earpiece can be used independently for calls or to listen to music, and you can find both on a map if you lose it with the Find My app on the iPhone or the Smart Things app on Galaxy devices. Both also offer quick switching between devices signed in to the same Apple ID or Samsung account.
Read more: Galaxy Buds Pro: 10 tips to master Samsung’s latest wireless earbuds
Galaxy Buds Pro for Android, AirPods Pro for iPhone
Both earplugs have their strengths, but the best earplugs for you will ultimately depend on which ecosystem you use. Previous comparisons between Samsung and Apple earbuds have been more platform agnostic, as earlier models were compatible with the Galaxy Wearable app on iOS, but this time around, your phone will be a big factor in your decision. I prefer the hot sound profile of the Galaxy Buds Pro, so I choose it to listen to music. But for multitasking between calls and music (and for more reliable battery performance), I choose the AirPods Pro.