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Samsung's Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are here, and they came with a radical redesign. People were quick to point fingers — "It's an AirPods Pro copy"! One may say "Hey, most wireless earbuds look this way nowadays", but the fact that the non-Pro Galaxy Buds 3 also look exactly like the non-Pro AirPods kind of renders this point moot. Yes, let's call a spade a spade — Samsung took some... notes from Apple.
But, I can't help but notice there must've been another source of inspiration for the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. Something about their futuristic, kind of over-designed looks just reminded me of...
... the Nothing Ear
OK, hold on, let me make my case here.
The first thing we notice about the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro is their transparent case, yes? More accurately — the transparent flap, which lets you see inside. As you probably know, Nothing is all about adding transparent elements to its devices — the stems of the Ear buds, most of their charging case, the backs of their phones.
We call this color See-through cool (Image credit - PhoneArena)
But sure, let's chalk it up to coincidence. Admittedly, the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro look cool — maybe Samsung just wants to show them off.
Then, you open the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro case and are met with two colored stripes — blue and red, for left and right earbud.
Vaguely reminiscent of something (Image credit - PhoneArena)
Alright, that's not a novel concept — it's a common thing in audio equipment. Typically, the right channel is marked with red, and the left one may or may not have a blue color marking. Nothing grabbed that pro audio tradition and has been putting a red dot on the right earbud since the original Nothing Ear (1). Samsung started doing it now.
And again, this can be a coincidence. But I find it extra confusing that Samsung also added an "L" and an "R" on its earbuds, right next to the colors. Far from minimalistic, that's a bit over-designed and over-done — are we catering to the audio fans here or not?
At this point, I was thinking, surely I am just going nuts. Then I went to change the silicone tips, as I usually do, and noticed another thing that I've only seen once in recent memory. The tips have a mesh on the inside, entirely rubber, part of the entire mold. That's a new design that Nothing did with this year's Nothing Ear and Nothing Ear (a). Lo and behold, a few months down the line, I see the same thing on the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro.
And then, they also have kind of similar sound profiles. Kind of, don't reach for the pitchforks here. It's just that, going from the Nothing Ear (2) to Nothing Ear — the EQ curve shifted a bit, with a bump a bit higher in the bass frequencies, and a high shelf shift to the right in the top frequencies. And the same shift happens going from the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro to Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. However, comparing one to one, the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro have more bass and sparklier highs, where the Nothing Ears have more mids and smoother presence.
Am I calling foul?
No, not really. In fact, I am on record saying that "stealing" ideas from others is the main driving force behind human creativity. You grab a good idea from here, good idea from there, and combine them to make something great. This can be seen in all forms of human intellectual expression — from technology and design, to the arts and crafts. New genres of music pop up by combining opera, reggae, and metal, right? The first prototypes of a typewriter were made with a piano keyboard, because someone thought to themselves "Hey — hear me out! What if piano, but with words?".
x = y + z (Image credit - PhoneArena)
My point is, to me, it feels like Samsung combined ideas from AirPods ProandNothing Ear, and added just a small bit of Samsung sprinkle on top. Avid fans may feel betrayed — Samsung dropped a very signature look for the Galaxy Buds, which it has had for half a decade now. But maybe the new blade lights, colored accents, and angular stems will be the new signature look?
For what it's worth, I really enjoy the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro — look, fit, sound, and experience. And rated them high for all of that.
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Preslav, a member of the PhoneArena team since 2014, is a mobile technology enthusiast with a penchant for integrating tech into his hobbies and work. Whether it's writing articles on an iPad Pro, recording band rehearsals with multiple phones, or exploring the potential of mobile gaming through services like GeForce Now and Steam Link, Preslav's approach is hands-on and innovative. His balanced perspective allows him to appreciate both Android and iOS ecosystems, focusing on performance, camera quality, and user experience over brand loyalty.
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