The AirPods' design is popular for a reason—it's sleek, functional, and instantly recognizable. If that’s what consumers want, it makes sense for Samsung to offer something that caters to that taste while still putting their unique spin on it.
But the new Galaxy Buds 3 Pro arn't justAirPod look-alikes. They pack a punch in their own right and if you keep reading, Ill tell you why these premium buds are a pretty good pick if you value both design and sound quality
The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro don’t reinvent the wheel when it comes to wireless earbuds, but they do offer some fresh updates. Sure, the fancy light effects and sleek new case are nice touches, but the real standout is the redesign of the buds themselves.
Samsung has moved away from the classic stemless design and introduced a new "blade" design—more angular than Apple’s AirPods Pro. Now, I know what you might be thinking: "Oh great, another brand jumping on the stem bandwagon."
But here’s the thing—Samsung isn’t just copying the competition. The blades aren’t just a design statement; they have a functional purpose, too. They bring the microphones closer to your mouth, making voice calls clearer, which is a huge plus for anyone who’s had to repeat themselves on a call because their earbuds weren’t quite picking up their voice.
During my calls with the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro on the metro, callers mentioned that they could hardly hear any background noise, and my voice came through clearly with only minimal distortion.
And let’s be real, while the stemless design was cool and all, some people just prefer the security of a little extra something to hold onto. The lights built into the blades aren’t just for show either. They glow when the buds are in pairing mode, adding a functional touch to the design and they also flash to help guide you to the buds' location, which can be pretty handy.
Comfort-wise, the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro hit the mark. They’re lightweight, making them comfortable to wear for hours at a time without that dreaded ear fatigue.
However, getting that perfect fit right out of the box might take a little trial and error. I needed to use one of the smaller ear tips that come included in the box to get the right fit.
And that’s important because a good seal isn’t just about comfort; it’s crucial for getting the best performance out of these buds, especially when it comes to blocking out background noise.
Speaking of noise, the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro’s active noise cancelling (ANC) does a solid job. Samsung has packed in a few different modes to suit your environment.
There’s ambient sound mode, which lets in just enough of the outside world so you don’t miss your train stop, and adaptive sound mode, which smartly switches between ambient and noise-cancelling depending on your surroundings.
If you’re in a quiet setting, it’ll go easy on the noise cancelling, but once the noise picks up—like when you’re walking through a busy street—it kicks it up a notch.
One feature I found both interesting and a bit annoying is the voice and siren detection. The buds automatically switch to ambient mode when they detect someone talking to you or if there’s an emergency siren nearby.
This is great in theory, especially for safety reasons, but in practice, it can be a bit of a nuisance. Sometimes, you just don’t want to hear what’s going on around you, even if someone’s trying to get your attention.
When it comes to sound quality, the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro don’t disappoint. The audio is clear and detailed, with punchy bass and crisp trebles, all thanks to the small drivers and dual amps packed inside.
Samsung has also thrown in their 360 Audio and head tracking features, which really pull you into the music if immersive sound is your thing.
I’m personally a fan of these features; they add a little something extra to the listening experience, making it feel like the sound is coming from all around you, not just from two tiny buds in your ears.
The buds come equipped with Bluetooth 5.4, which is reliable and lets you listen from a decent distance away from your phone. Throughout my testing, I didn’t experience any drop-outs or connection issues.
The gesture controls are another area where Samsung has made some changes. Unlike previous models, the controls are now confined to the blades, and they can be a bit finicky.
You’ve got to be precise with where you pinch or swipe, which can be frustrating at first, especially if you’re upgrading from an older version.
But once you get the hang of it, it’s not too bad. Plus, the buds support voice controls, so you can switch songs or answer calls without even touching them—just say the word (literally). However, this feature is Android-only, so iOS users are out of luck.
Speaking of iOS, if you’re using an iPhone, you’ll miss out on a lot of the customization options since the Samsung Galaxy Wearable app isn’t available on iOS.
That means some of the coolest features, like Interpreter mode—which turns your buds into mini translators for languages like Italian and Japanese—are off-limits unless you’re using a Galaxy phone. And yes, this exclusivity extends to other Galaxy-specific perks as well.
When it comes to battery life, with active noise cancelling (ANC) on, you’ll get about six hours of continuous listening—plenty to get you through a long commute or most of your workday.
Turn off ANC, and you’ll extend that to around seven hours, which is pretty solid for wireless earbuds.The Buds 3 Pro’s case also offers wireless charging with compatible chargers. Plus, there’s the convenient PowerShare feature, letting you charge the buds simply by placing them on the back of a Galaxy device.
At Rs. 19,999, the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are definitely in the premium price range, but for Android users, especially those in the Samsung ecosystem, they’re a solid investment. You get great sound, effective noise cancellation, and some cool extras like wireless charging and an IP57 water resistance rating, making them a versatile choice for daily use.