Not sure how to choose between Apple and Samsung’s wireless buds? Here’s everything you need to know.
When it comes to smartphones, chances are you fall into one of two camps: fans of the Apple iPhone’s iOS operating system or those dedicated to the Android OS used by Samsung (among others).
However, in the world of true wireless earbuds, these distinctions aren’t quite as clear, and you may well be considering buying a pair of Samsung Galaxy Buds, even if you have an iPhone – and vice versa.
Now, that Apple have released an updated version of its true wireless earbuds the Apple AirPods (2019), which come with an optional wireless charging case, it’s even more difficult to choose which is the best true wireless earbud model for you.
If you’re not sure how to choose between the Apple AirPods (2019) and the Samsung Galaxy Buds, you’ve come to the right place; we’ve examined the pros and cons of both true wireless earbuds to help you decide which ones will suit you best.
There’s no denying that the original Apple AirPods paved the way for true wireless earbuds to become mainstream, and despite being released in 2016, they were still among the best true wireless buds you could buy in 2019 – that is, until the new AirPods (2019) came along.
Apple says that the updated buds offer « faster connect times, more talk time, and the convenience of hands-free Siri. » It’s debatable how much has actually changed since the originals were released, and they certainly aren’t the rumored AirPods 2 we were hoping for – we’re not expected them to be released until at least 2020 now.
The Samsung Galaxy Buds on the other hand were released in February, and as such, are not quite a ubiquitous as the AirPods. Still, they represent a size-able improvement from Samsung’s previous true wireless buds, the Gear IconX.
Released alongside the new Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10 Plus and Galaxy S10e, the Galaxy Buds are optimized to work with these handsets, much like the Apple AirPods (2019) are optimized for iPhone, linking strongly to dedicated Siri or Bixby features, for instance – however, both sets of true wireless buds can be used with any smartphone.
The new Apple AirPods (2019) cost $159/£159/AU$249 with the standard charging case, and $199/£199/AU$319 with the new Wireless Charging Case bundled in.
This is the same price as the originals, which are no longer being sold by Apple, but should be available from third-party retailers while stocks last. It’s worth keeping an eye out for AirPods deals if you’re not interested in the new wireless charging case or marginally faster pairing times, as we’ve seen some decent reductions since the updated models came out.
You can also purchase the wireless charging case separately for $79 / £79 / AU$129, which is good news if you have the original AirPods but want to upgrade your case to one that supports wireless charging, although you might feel it’s a high price to pay for some added convenience.
Samsung don’t charge you any extra for this convenience, as the Galaxy Buds’ wireless charging case comes as standard.
The Samsung Galaxy Buds slightly undercut the price of the AirPods (2019) at $149 (£139 / AU$249).
So, unless you opt for the AirPods (2019) with the wireless charging case, there’s not a lot in it when it comes to price, and comparing the two probably won’t help you make a decision (unless you really care about that $10 difference.)
You can get some of the best true wireless earbuds for less of course; the Optoma NuForce BE Free5 wireless earbuds show just how accessible truly wireless headphones are today, costing $100 (about £75, AU$134).
