Apple AirPods-like. AirPod-esque. AirPods-style. These adjectives were all used in the titles of tech news announcing the arrival of Samsung's new and radically different Galaxy Buds 3 series.
Well, radically different for Samsung's Buds line, but rather following in Apple's design footsteps indeed, according to the majority of publications, in that they have... stems. When the Buds 3 sit next to Apple's wireless AirPods, however, the design of the world's most popular wearable actually seems rather... plain and boring.
Edgy Galaxy Buds 3 and the Blade Light
The earbuds for Cybertruck owners
Not only is the new edgy design of the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro a breath of fresh air in a sea of AirPods lookalikes, be they with stems instead of the bulbous Buds 2 shape, but they also offer one standout design feature, the Blade Lights.
The sharp corners and silver metallic design stand in an even sharper contrast to Apple's white, neat, and minimalistic AirPods. The Galaxy Buds 3 and their cases look so futuristic, in fact, that they would be perfectly in place on the wireless charging pad inside Tesla's edgy Cybertruck.
The Galaxy Buds 3 series cases are an exercise in futuristic design
The cyberpunk vibe is additionally enhanced by the LED light running along the stems, which also serve as volume and media playback controls via pinching and swiping gestures. Ergonomics at its finest, but these are available on the AirPods Pro, too, so Samsung's unique design propositions remain the Blade design and light that helps with Bluetooth pairing, or it can stay on the whole time if the user prefers the cold glow high-tech look.
"Love the new colors, especially the shadow gray, it’s so comfortable and fits like a glove. I find it difficult to find ear buds that fit, but these are great. The quality of the sound is also so clear," reads one of the first user reviews of the new Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro.
We'd especially agree that it is hard to find earbuds that immediately fit "like a glove." Samsung, however, used its newly minted stem design to introduce new shapes and gives a choice of canal design for audiophiles' immersion on the Pro model, or open type Buds 3 for wearing all day long.
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"Built upon a variety of collected statistical data, the Galaxy Buds 3 series comes with a new computational design boasting a comfortable fit," tips Samsung, and, while all earphone makers claim so, the initial reviews indicate that it has seemingly delivered.
In addition, the Buds 3 come with 2-way speakers with dual amplifier and independently controlled woofer and planar tweeter, which, in addition to the 24-bit sound support widen the audiophile street cred of the new Galaxy Buds.
Buds 3 and AI
Talk to the ear
The futuristic looks and ergonomic design of the new Galaxy Buds 3 series with Blade Light accouterments are not just skin deep, though. Samsung leverages the power of its newfangled Galaxy AI algorithms that first shone on the Galaxy S24 series, in order to make everyday life with the Buds 3 easier.
"Based on individual ear shape and wearing habits, our AI-boosted algorithm analyses sound detected through the inner and outer mics in real-time," tips Samsung.
Pairing the high-quality audio hardware and AI, the Buds 3 series introduce adaptive noise cancellation that can adjust listening volume and intensity based on surrounding sounds. Ambulance siren blaring on the street? Galaxy Buds 3 Pro will immediately adjust for the piercing sound by augmenting ANC intensity and sound output if you are listening to music, for example, or the set will adapt the voice of the caller to sound typical even in noisy environments.
The kicker, however, is bringing the AI Interpreter in Listening mode on the Galaxy phones to the new Buds 3, which allows for direct translation of anything you hear in another language that passes through your Galaxy Buds. Now, here's a thought when you have to order from an intimidating menu on that summer vacation to Europe.
All in all, Samsung is so confident in the futuristic Blade Design and light of the new Galaxy Buds 3 series, that it priced the Buds 3 Pro higher than Apple's AirPods Pro, and with a good reason, as it did well to set them apart in a sea of truly AirPods-like contraptions.
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Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena since 2010, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.
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