Samsung just took the wraps off its new Galaxy Buds 2, and they already look like fierce competitors to Beats Studio Buds and AirPods Pro. The Buds 2 were announced alongside a slew of other Samsung gadgets during the latest Galaxy Unpacked. Samsung has also announced the Galaxy Z Fold 3, Galaxy Z Flip 3, and Galaxy Watch 4/Galaxy Watch 4 Classic.
In regards to the Galaxy Buds series, Samsung has gotten progressively better with its hardware with each release. Launched in August 2019, the original Galaxy Buds left a lot to the imagination. They didn't sound all that impressive, the built-in mics were notoriously bad, and Bluetooth connectivity was never the most reliable. The Galaxy Buds Plus launched just a few months later in February 2020, and they were better in almost every way. They sounded nicer, battery life was longer, the mics were considerably improved, and they had the same excellent design. Samsung continued the lineup with the Galaxy Buds Live and Galaxy Buds Pro, each also acting as strong members of the Galaxy Buds family.
Following the Buds Pro from January, Samsung is expanding yet again with the Galaxy Buds 2. The Galaxy Buds 2 serve as a spiritual successor to the Buds Plus, offering a quality earbud experience at an affordable price. As the leaked renders revealed a few weeks ago, the Galaxy Buds 2 have a pretty sleek design. The earbuds themselves look a lot like the Buds Pro, but they're 15-percent smaller and 20-percent lighter than the Buds Plus — resulting in the smallest design for the Galaxy Buds portfolio. Samsung includes three sizes of ear tips with the Galaxy Buds 2. Just like AirPods Pro, a fitness test in the Galaxy Wearable app helps people find the perfect fit for each ear.
The Galaxy Buds 2 Will Be Available Starting August 27
In regards to the feature set for Buds 2, it actually sounds like a really impressive offering. Samsung's touting dynamic 2-way speakers for "crisp, clear high notes" and "deep bass," active noise canceling to reduce external background sounds by up to 98-percent, and an ambient sound feature with three volume tiers to more easily hear the world around you. Microphone quality is also touted as a high point. In addition to one inner mic and two outer mics with beamforming technology, the Buds 2 also have machine learning to automatically filter out certain background sounds (such as cars, people talking, etc.).
The kicker to all of this is the Galaxy Buds' 2 price. They go on sale for just $149.99 on August 27 and are available in four colors: White, Graphite, Olive, and Lavendar. The charging case is white on the outside for all models, with the inside featuring a matching accent color. It's similar to the two-tone design Google used with the Pixel Buds A-Series earlier this year, and it's a striking aesthetic, to say the least.
At $150, the Galaxy Buds 2 are interesting competition for the likes of the Beats Studio Buds, OnePlus Buds Pro, and AirPods Pro. Even within Samsung's own lineup of earbuds, the Buds 2 might cannibalize its older siblings. The Galaxy Buds Plus will eventually be discontinued as the Buds 2 become the go-to budget pick, but the $169 Buds Live and $199 Buds Pro will continue to live on. With features like active noise canceling, ambient mode, and an ultra-lightweight design, it's easy to see how the Galaxy Buds 2 could become the best new Samsung earbuds to buy. It remains to be seen how they hold up in real-world use, but at least on paper, the Buds 2 look pretty killer.
Source: Samsung