Samsung’s first Galaxy Unpacked 2021 event is well underway and the company has taken the opportunity to launch a new set of TWS earbuds — namely, the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro. Now, just about everything to be known can be surmised generally from the branding here. These buds are a direct follow-up to the bean-shaped buds from last year. Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro represents the best of what Samsung has to offer on the portable audio front.
As an entry into the premium segment of the earbuds market, Galaxy Buds Pro starts out with new and improved drivers. But that’s not a standard singular driver at all, in this case. Instead, Samsung opted to utilize a more robust platform, starting with an 11mm woofer for lower frequencies. That’s paired with a 6.5mm tweeter for a richer, cleaner treble.
Samsung also says that in part because of the separated components, these are the most dynamic and best-balanced earbuds it’s ever produced. And that’s not just for music or entertainment. It also applies to calls.
To begin with, Samsung started with three microphones and a separate Voice Pickup Unit. That helps the system underneath to separate voice from unwanted noise. One of the outer mics takes that a step further too, packing a high signal-to-noise ratio to assist.
Tying into that and the active noise-canceling, Samsung integrated a new Wind Shield technology as well. That’s a coupling of the shape of the new buds with a specially designed chamber and mesh filters. So there shouldn’t be any noise or interference from wind either. And, on ANC, the company says Galaxy Buds Pro can reduce background noise by up to 99-percent. Ambient Sound mode amplifies nearby sounds by more than 20dB.
These are designed to be better than ever, inside and out
It goes without saying that the audio from Galaxy Buds Pro is better than ever. But Samsung also wanted every other aspect to improve with this iteration too. That starts with battery life and carries through to design.
On the first front, Galaxy Buds Pro will last up to 8-hours on a single charge according to Samsung. And they’ll play for an extra 20-hours, including the charge-and-carry case. Even with active noise-cancellation active, playback is up to 5-hours and up to 13-hours more from the case. And charging is quick too, at the very least when wired charging is used. Samsung says the Galaxy Buds Pro offers up to an hour of playback from just 5-minutes of charging.
Externally, the new Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro is reshaped to be more ergonomic. That means that the shape of the tips and buds themselves is less protrusive. And the buds should fit more naturally in most users’ ears as a result. In that same vein, Samsung worked to ensure that the contact area between ear and earbud is reduced for comfort.
Perhaps as importantly, Samsung says that they built the buds using 20 percent environmentally conscious Post-Consumer Materials. So the buds are as environmentally friendly as ergonomic.
In terms of durability, Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro is the most water-resistant TWS earbud sold by the company to date at IPX7.
Galaxy Buds Pro will work best paired with a Samsung phone
Of course, this wouldn’t be Samsung if there weren’t a few extra features for fans of the brand. More specifically, there are extra features controllable and accessible only via Samsung’s Galaxy Wearables app.
For instance, SmartThings Find works with Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro. So, if the buds ever become lost, they don’t need to stay lost. But that’s just for starters.
ANC and Ambient modes also work automatically when paired with Galaxy Wearables. Users simply need to flip a toggle and the buds will recognize when the user is talking. Then it will automatically switch away from ANC mode and into Ambient Sound mode. Or simply lower the volume and activate Ambient Sound, if ANC wasn’t active, to begin with.
For those connecting via multiple devices, that’s easier than ever too. If users happen to be watching a video on a Galaxy tablet and then get a call on their Samsung phone, the buds will automatically switch over. The video will be simultaneously paused too, in that scenario. And, with Auto Switch, the buds will switch back once the call is ended. All without any extra input from the user required.
Paired with Samsung Galaxy S21, on the other hand, the features go even further. That’s also in addition to 360 Audio with Dolby Head Tracking — which keeps users centered in a scene automatically. Galaxy S21 users can synchronize mics on both the new Galaxy Buds Pro and Galaxy S21 flagship. That allows a clearer voice capture and a better representation of any surrounding audio. And, with the new Game Mode, audio latency is reduced, when paired with Galaxy S21.
Specs
Samsung has provided all of the detailed specs for these earbuds, for those who need the latest specs available. Those are included below.
| Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro | |
| Colors | Phantom Violet, Phantom Black, Phantom Silver |
| Dimensions | Earbud: 19.5 x 20.5 x 20.8 mm Charging Case: 50 x 50.2 x 27.8 mm |
| Weight | Earbud: 6.3g Charging Case: 44.9g |
| Speaker | 2-way (11mm woofer + 6.5mm tweeter) |
| Microphones | 3 mics (2 outer + 1 inner) + Voice Pickup Unit + Wind Shield |
| ANC & Ambient Sound | ANC: Cutting by up to 99% of external background noise, adjustable 2 levels Ambient Sound: Amplifying up to +20dB, adjustable 4 levels Voice Detect |
| Battery Capacity | Earbuds: 61 mAh Charging Case: 472 mAh |
| Play Time | 5 hours / Total 18 hours (ANC or Bixby voice wake-up on) 8 hours / Total 28 hours (ANC & Bixby voice wake-up off) |
| Talk Time | 4 hours / Total 14.5h (ANC on) 5 hours / Total 17.5h (ANC off) |
| Charging | 1-hour playtime / 5-minute quick charging Qi-certified wireless charging |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.0® Codec: Scalable (Samsung proprietary), AAC, SBC |
| Sensors | Accelerometer, Gyro, Proximity, Hall, Touch, Voice Pickup Unit(VPU) |
| Compatibility | Android 7.0 or higher, RAM 1.5GB above |
| Water Resistance | IPX7 |
How much is Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro going to set you back?
Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro is available starting today at the company’s website and will become available at further retailers starting tomorrow. They’ll be available in Phantom Black, Phantom Silver, and Phantom Violet. The company has priced the earbuds at $199.99, regardless of which color is chosen.
