Original samsung Galaxy Buds Give Apple AirPods tough competition. Both are pairs of wireless in-ear headphones that work perfectly with a phone or iPhone Galaxy, and both allow you to speak to a voice assistant in your ear. But Galaxy Buds ($ 130, £ 139, or AU $ 249) have a wireless charging case that comes with the standard earphones, while AirPods are priced higher with a wireless case ($ 199, £ 199, or AU). $ 319).
Editor’s Note: This story compares the original AirPods, first released in late 2016, to the Samsung Galaxy Buds. You can find a comparison with the newest AirPods Pro and Galaxy Buds Plus here.
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Originally released in 2016, the original AirPods still remain among the best truly wireless headphones. The appearance of AirPods can be a matter of love or hate, but there is no doubt that they are very comfortable for long-term use. This original design also suits users who don’t want an in-ear design with a rubber tip, like the new AirPods Pro or the Galaxy Buds. Read our Apple AirPods review.
With a standard wireless charging case, the original Galaxy Buds have a lot to offer Apple and Android users alike. While you don’t get the sound quality boost from the new Galaxy Buds Plus, the original buds still sound great. Read our Samsung Galaxy Buds review.
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Apple AirPods vs Samsung Galaxy Buds: How to choose?
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AirPods are light, Galaxy Buds are comfortable
AirPods are hard to miss when hanging from someone’s ear – the button rests inside the ear while the Q-tip cylinder protrudes from the earlobe. AirPods are only available in white.
Galaxy Buds are slightly larger and stand out more than AirPods, but sit more comfortably in your ear thanks to the different tips you can change for a better fit. The buds come in black, white, silver, or yellow.
Galaxy Buds sit securely in your ear thanks to the interchangeable tips so you can choose the best size for your ear.
Angela Lang / CNET
The fit and comfort level obviously depend on the shape of your ear, but overall we found AirPods to be a bit more comfortable, especially for long-term use, because they are so light. Galaxy Buds looked prettier and more subtle in our ears. Both were held in place during everyday activities, such as commuting and workouts, but the Galaxy Buds felt safer due to the stronger grip. The tips of AirPods make them liable to fall if you brush them by hand. Neither one is fully waterproof, but the Galaxy Buds have IPX2 rating, which means that they will resist intense sweat sessions.
The downside (or upside depending on what you’re looking for) of having a tighter seal is that the Galaxy Buds block more ambient noise than the AirPods, even when you’re not listening to music. The open design of the AirPods means that you listen to much more of your surroundings and you don’t have to take them out to have a conversation when you are not listening to anything. We will discuss sound quality in more detail later.
Both pairs of headphones magnetically snap into their cases to store and recharge the battery. Galaxy Buds have a slightly larger case that looks a bit like a cylindrical pill box or a contact lens case, while AirPods have a smaller case that reminds me of flossing.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy Buds for a more secure fit (although we prefer the AirPods case).
What else can AirPods and Galaxy Buds do?
AirPods and Galaxy Buds automatically pair with their companies’ respective devices as soon as you open the case. The first time you put the headphones close to your phone, just tap to connect and you’re ready to go. The connection experience is less sophisticated with devices outside of their respective ecosystems, but you can still pair them manually from Bluetooth settings on any phone, tablet, or laptop.
Click open the case and your AirPods or Galaxy Buds will connect to your phone.
Angela Lang / CNET
Once paired, both buttons allow you to tap to control calls, play music, or summon a voice assistant (Siri or Bixby, respectively). You can customize AirPods controls from the Bluetooth settings on your iPhone and choose from four different options: play and pause, skip forward, go to the previous track, or summon Siri.
When paired with Android, Galaxy Buds can be customized through the Galaxy Wear app. They offer the same touch controls as AirPods, plus you can adjust the volume of the headphones. You can increase or decrease the ambient noise and adjust the sound quality from the application. However, if you use Galaxy Buds with an iPhone, you can only use the default controls. The level of customization on the Galaxy Buds is unbeatable, but if you choose to customize the taps, remember which gesture controls which feature can take some time to master.
If you lose the AirPods or the Galaxy Buds, you can use your phone to find them, but none of the “Find my ‘buds’ features is perfect. On iPhone, it shows only the last location where they were paired, and I found that sometimes they didn’t ring Nor did they appear as they were until they were next to the phone. The Galaxy Buds do not show their location on a map and only reproduce a squeaking sound when you ping them, an effect that only works if the headphones are on and connected. You will be able to ping any of these models if you are using them with an out-of-ecosystem device – in short, try not to lose them.
Winner: Galaxy Buds for customization level.
Galaxy Buds offers more for audiophiles
Out of the box, the sound quality of the Galaxy Buds is noticeably richer. Due to its slimmer design, you don’t have to turn up the volume as much to listen to your music. If you are listening to the AirPods for themselves, the sound quality is perfectly adequate. Only when we listen to them next to the Galaxy Buds do we notice that they sound a little thinner and weaker. The AirPods’ more open design also means that you also need to turn up the volume if there is a lot of ambient noise competing with them.
You will be able to hear more of your surroundings when using AirPods.
Angela Lang / CNET
The sound in Galaxy Buds is tuned by AKG, and you have the option to customize the sound profile in the Galaxy Wear app. The app also gives you an ambient sound setting that brings more outside noise when paired with Android devices and has a voice focus option that makes voices stand out. In the real world, I found that these features let in more ambient sound and allow you to hear voices more clearly, but it may sound like you’re in an echo chamber and still don’t get as much ambient noise. like you do with AirPods. AirPods don’t have a native app, but you can use an equalizer in your music app to adjust the sound. We still prefer AirPods over Galaxy Buds for walking or running, where you need to be aware of your surroundings, even with the surround sound option enabled.
For calls, we had the opposite experience. Both headphones have dual microphones, but the AirPods better isolated the voice on the call, while the Galaxy Buds let in more ambient noise. The AirPods sounded much clearer and louder to the person on the other line.
Winner: Galaxy Buds for sound quality, AirPods get points for call quality.
Do AirPods or Galaxy Buds last longer?
Galaxy Buds are Bluetooth 5 compatible, while AirPods have Apple Chip w1. We conducted an informal scoping test where we paired them with their respective phones, started streaming from Spotify, and left them on a table. Both were able to get an impressive distance from the table before the music started to cut, but the AirPods were able to go about 5 feet (1.5 meters) further than the Galaxy Buds.
USB-C or Lightning?
Angela Lang / CNET
However, the Galaxy Buds outperformed the AirPods in terms of battery life by almost 2 hours. We were able to get approximately 5 hours of continuous playback with the AirPods and almost 7 hours with the Galaxy Buds. But AirPods have more charge in the case than Galaxy Buds, so you can get more juice from them on the go if you don’t have access to an outlet. AirPods use a Lightning cable for charging, while Galaxy Buds have a USB-C port.
But the Galaxy Buds have a charging superpower up their sleeve that the AirPods don’t yet have – wireless charging. Not only can you charge the case on a charging base, if you have a Galaxy device that supports reverse wireless charging (like the Samsung S20 Ultra, S10, S10 Plus or S10E) You can use your phone to charge them if necessary.
Winner: Shake AirPods have a slightly longer range and longer total battery life, but Galaxy Buds last longer on a single charge and can be charged wirelessly.
Are AirPods or Galaxy Buds better?
The Galaxy Buds are the clear winners in the abstract. They have more features and offer greater customization than AirPods. But it also depends on how you use them. Galaxy Buds are the obvious choice if you have a Galaxy or Android phone and your top priority is sound quality. But AirPods can be better if you’re looking for a seamless integration with your iPhone and want a well-rounded button set that you can use in almost any setting. If you want noise cancellation, the AirPods Pro They offer even better sound than the originals, as well as a more compact design.
Read more: Protect your AirPods: 5 boxes for less than $ 15
