The Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro have been improved in a number of ways, but there’s a premium to pay.
The Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro are a new set of true wireless earbuds with active noise cancellation from the South Korean firm, launched alongside the new Samsung Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21 Plus and the Galaxy S21 Ultra. As the ‚Pro‘ name suggests, the Galaxy Buds Pro sit at the top of its true wireless, earbuds range as it looks to compete with the Apple AirPods Pro. Has Samsung overplayed its hand with the Galaxy Buds Pro, or has a new winner arrived in the realm of high-end wireless earbuds? We’ve already spent a few days with the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro, so read on for our first impressions – our full review will follow soon. [Update: The Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro have been given their first software update, bringing a helpful feature for users with hearing impairments. Thanks to the update, you can now take advantage of a „hearing enhancements feature“, which allows you to balance the sound between the left and right earbuds. The R190XXU0AUA1 update also brings improvements to Bixby, which should mean the smart assistant will respond more quickly when summoned via voice commands, and some general system stability tweaks.] The Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro will launch alongside the Galaxy S21 smartphone on January 14, 2021 (that’s today) on Samsung’s website. That said, you’ll see them at every retailer starting on January 15. They’ll set you back $199 / £219 / AU$349. That’s pricey but it makes sense that they’d cost a little more than their predecessors, the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live, which cost $169.99 / £179 / AU$319 at launch. It also makes sense that Samsung would try to undercut the Apple AirPods Pro ($249 / £249 / AU$399), as its buds are often a little cheaper than its biggest rival. What’s strange about the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro’s release date is that it comes just five short months after the South Korean company launched the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live and less than a year after the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus. Samsung’s putting out earbuds at a neck-breaking pace, and the Galaxy Buds Pro are just the latest stop on the journey. The Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro are available in three colors: Phantom Black, Phantom Silver and Phantom Violet to match the new Samsung Galaxy S21. The color of the buds corresponds to the charging case you get with it. The supplied case is similar to that of the Galaxy Buds Live: it’s smaller than that of the Buds Plus, but a bit thicker. That does mean you can see the case in the pocket of skinny jeans, for example, but the compact shape makes it ideal to easily take with you. The case itself feels solid, and unlike the Buds Plus case, there’s no play at the fold-out end. An LED light on the front of the charging case indicates in colors (green, yellow, red) how much battery is left in the case itself. Round the back there’s a USB-C port, which can be used to charged the box, although this can also be done wirelessly is you have a wireless charging pad to hand. When you open the case, you’ll see an additional LED light. The same colors are used here too, but these indicate to what extent the earbuds themselves are charged. The earbuds are smaller than the Galaxy Buds Plus, and they’ve dropped the bean-like styling of the Buds Live in favor of this more compact form factor.
