The Galaxy Buds 2 and the Apple AirPods 3 are two great wireless audio options, but which is better? Here are our thoughts on both ‘buds, and which we prefer.<\/b>
\nIf you\u2019re in the market for a set of top-notch earbuds, one thing you\u2019ll notice right away is just how many pairs there are to choose from. With name brands a-plenty, it\u2019s tough to decide where to even start, but take it from us \u2014 you can\u2019t beat premium. When it comes to industry-lauded, flagship performance, nothing says \u201cpremium\u201d like a pair of buds from Apple or Samsung. Both brands have a gleaming track record of producing some of the leading in-ear audio products, offering features like powerful noise cancellation, customizable haptics, and dirt\/water protection for the toughest commutes. Thus, the question remains: Do you invest in Apple\u2019s AirPods 3 or Samsung\u2019s Galaxy Buds 2? Let\u2019s put both buds side by side to help you decide which set is best for you. For those looking for more wireless earbud options, check out our roundup of the best true wireless earbuds you can buy right now. Apple\u2019s original AirPods and AirPods 2 buds were never quite hailed for comfort. More specifically, a lack of silicone eartips made for a slightly loose-fitting feel for some ears, and no official IP resistance kept certain buyers at bay. With the third generation of AirPods, or AirPods 3 as they\u2019re being referred to, Apple upped the ante in several of these categories. For one, the new bud design goes for a more bulbous and smooth shape. This, combined with the shorter tail-fins, helps the AirPods hug the skin of the outer ear. There\u2019s also an official IPX4 designation, which checks that box now. Overall, the AirPods 3 look sleeker, fit nicely, and are better protected than the AirPods 2 \u2014 although the AirPods Pro still offer a tighter ear-grab for workouts. Samsung, on the other hand, offers a smaller, more ergonomic in-ear design with its Galaxy Buds 2. The headphones come with small, medium, and large eartips, fit snugly inside your ears, and even come with silicone earfins to ensure they don\u2019t fall out during strenuous exercise. In our full hands-on review, the Galaxy Buds 2 stayed put for long periods of time without any kind of discomfort or sweating, even staying secure during a long snooze. While Apple certainly made some strides in improving the design and comfort of the AirPods 3 over older generations, the Galaxy Buds 2 are better looking, more comfortable, and snug in all the right ways. Winner: Galaxy Buds 2 Both Apple and Samsung wireless buds use fairly seamless tap-based controls for a number of functions, including play\/pause, call answering, and digital assistants. In Apple\u2019s case, the AirPods 3 have done away with tapping control gestures, relegating commands to the force sensors located on each bud stem \u2014 an improvement borrowed from the AirPods Pro. Touch commands are as follows: A single sensor-tap for play\/pause, a double-tap to skip forward, and a triple-tap to skip back. To adjust volume and to initiate assistant commands (like calling a certain iPhone contact), say \u201cHey Siri,\u201d followed by the command you\u2019d like carried out. If you use touch commands often, though, you may find yourself dislodging whatever seal the AirPods 3 have with your ears. As stated, they fit better than older gens, but not as tightly as the AirPods Pro. Silicone eartips could have been the cure-all. Out of the box, the Galaxy Buds 2 offer a bit more in terms of control, but a stemless design means you\u2019ll be tapping the outside of the buds that are in your ears. Normally, this wouldn\u2019t be such a big deal, but when it comes to sensitivity, the Buds 2 are a bit too sensitive. Even the lightest of touches when trying to adjust will set off an unintended play\/pause command or ANC (active noise canceling) change. Luckily, you can turn off the touch sensor with the Galaxy Wear app, but you\u2019ll lose those touch features altogether, and you\u2019ll need to launch the app to turn them back on. Getting into the actual tap commands, single, double, and triple taps all perform different functions, including play\/pause, call answering, and voice assistant cueing. A hidden gem for Samsung is the inclusion of an assignable \u201cfourth\u201d command (only available with Android devices). Instead of sequential taps, users can long tap to access either voice commands, quick ambient sound (which reduces music volume so you can hear outside sounds), as well as volume down. Overall, we found Samsung\u2019s controls a bit easier to use and customize, and the additional fourth command was just enough to edge the Galaxy Buds 2 over the less option-filled AirPods 3 in the control category. Winner: Galaxy Buds 2 Apple\u2019s AirPods will let you listen to your favorite music for up to six hours between charges, which is still fairly good in the world of true wireless headphones. Plus, with a fully charged AirPods case, you\u2019ll get up to 30 hours total. In addition to quick pairing and low video latency, Apple has redesigned its latest buds to support spatial audio listening. This is a great add-on that uses head-tracking technology to adapt your listening experience to whatever direction you\u2019re facing, making you feel like you\u2019re smack-dab in the middle of a recording session with your favorite artist. For Apple Music subscribers, this is a fantastic way to experience the myriad of Dolby Atmos tracks in Apple\u2019s music library. In terms of overall sound quality, the AirPods 3 offer warm and rich bass and shimmering clarity in the higher frequency ranges. While the semi-open design allows a little too much sound in from time to time, the AirPods 3 are easily the best-sounding generation, outside of the flagship AirPods Pro. The passive cancellation of the AirPods 3 does get the job done, but we would have loved to see the active noise cancellation of the Pro series carried over. The Galaxy Buds 2 slightly outperform the AirPods in virtually every way when it comes to the listening experience. First, and perhaps most significantly, the Galaxy Buds 2 come with active noise cancellation. And while they\u2019re not quite at the same level of ANC as the AirPods Pro, for $50 cheaper than the non-ANC AirPods 3, you can\u2019t go wrong. And to be clear, Digital Trends reviewer Caleb Denison said the Buds 2 had \u201cthe best noise-canceling buds I\u2019ve heard from Samsung yet,\u201d so combining that with punchy low-end, a boost in upper treble for shining vocals, and decent midrange that brings everything home, the Galaxy Buds 2 may not quite reach premium performance, but considering Samsung\u2019s mass-market appeal, they\u2019re not far away. Plus, with the expanded EQ app (for Android devices only), you can dial in your audio just the way you like it. Another thing to consider when it comes to listening experience is just how life-proof headphones are. In this case, the Buds 2 slightly nudge out the AirPods 3 with an IPX7 rating, which means they can withstand workout sweat and dripping water (though they\u2019re not fit for the pool). Winner: Galaxy Buds 2 As mentioned, Apple\u2019s AirPods 3 will last up to 6 hours on a full charge, with up to 30 hours total if you\u2019re traveling around with a fully juiced charging case. As part of Apple\u2019s conversion to MagSafe charging, the latest AirPods incorporate MagSafe magnets for the case, allowing you to dock the cased AirPods to any MagSafe charger, flat or upright. Apple\u2019s fast-charge feature will also net you an extra hour of playtime after charging the buds for only five minutes. The Galaxy Buds 2 case doesn\u2019t offer the same kind of longevity, but the pillbox-style case does come with wireless charging at no extra cost. With ANC enabled, users can expect up to 5 hours of playtime and 3.5 hours of talk time. With the charging case, and with ANC enabled, you can expect 20 hours of playtime and 13 hours of talk time total. With ANC disabled, you\u2019re looking at up to 7.5 hours of playtime and 3.5 hours talk time \u2014 29 and 14 hours with the case, respectively. Additionally, you should be able to get about one extra hour of playtime off a quick five-minute charge and about 2.5 extra hours off a 10-minute charge, getting the charging and overall battery performance of the Galaxy Buds 2 right in line with the AirPods 3. Winner: Tie The AirPods 3 and Galaxy Buds 2 are more than adequate when it comes to call quality, both for the bud-wearer and the person they\u2019re talking to. For the AirPods 3, Apple incorporated a new AAC-ELD codec to improve voice clarity over FaceTime calls. This, combined with acoustic meshing to cut down on wind noise and other environmental distractions, as well as Apple\u2019s tried-and-true mics, makes the AirPods 3 an easy choice for frequent callers. On paper, it would seem that the Galaxy Buds 2 should deliver better call quality than the AirPods, due mostly in part to Samsung\u2019s triple mic system that adapts each bud to the noise environment. But generally speaking, we found that while phone calls came in adequately on the Galaxy Buds 2, our call recipients claimed we sounded a bit tinny and digitized. The default call-EQ was also a little boomier than the AirPods. Thus, we award the AirPods 3. Winner: AirPods 3 The AirPods 3 currency sells for $180. For those who opt to purchase AppleCare+, the replacement fee for damaged AirPods and the wireless charging case are only $29. The Galaxy Buds 2 can be purchased for $150. The one caveat is that for lost or damaged buds or chargers, you\u2019ll need to reach out to Samsung Support for any replacements. A number of third-party Galaxy Buds charging cases are also available online, but we recommend contacting Samsung instead of purchasing an off-brand charge case. While it\u2019s always nice to have options, we\u2019re giving this category to the Galaxy Buds for having the overall best price. And in cases where something goes wrong, you can still reach out to Samsung for additional support. Winner: Galaxy Buds 2 While there is a lot to like about both pairs of these true wireless earbuds, there is no question that the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2, which retail for $150 compared to $180 for the AirPods, are the better value. With an awesome listening experience, better fit, and better control, the Galaxy Buds 2 beat out Apple\u2019s third-generation true wireless AirPods, making them our winner in this head-to-head contest. Want a little more insight? Check out our full reviews of the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 and the Apple AirPods 3.<\/p>\n