Samsung recently unveiled its response to Apple's Airpods Pro with the new Galaxy Buds Live. These premium earbuds were unveiled next to a wide array of new Samsung products slated for a 2020 release. However, the new earbuds deserve a closer look on their own to see just how they stack up compared to the competition. Namely, Apple's earbuds.
Samsung showed off quite an impressive variety of products from the Galaxy Z Fold 2, the company's newest foldable smartphone, to the Galaxy Tab S7, the company's latest tablet to rival the iPad. Although the highlight of the new products was the Samsung Galaxy Note 20, the newest addition to the popular Galaxy Note series of smartphones.
Galaxy Buds Live is Samsung's follow up to the Galaxy Buds+, a product released earlier this year. The new Galaxy Buds Live do sport a few added features such as active noise cancellation and Bixby voice wake-up. Although the new design and those extra features have arrived with an additional cost, considering the Galaxy Buds Live will retail for $169 in the US. For reference, that's $20 more than the original retail price of the Galaxy Buds+.
Galaxy Buds Live & AirPods Pro Compared
The big question is which premium earbuds are better, Samsung Galaxy Buds Live or Apple AirPods Pro? Much of that decision may come down to personal preference, since the two share many similar features. For example, both have active noise cancellation built-in and the ability to turn it on and off, in case in a situation where surrounding noise needs to be heard. Both products also feature the ability to control music and calls with just a touch of the finger. Furthermore, in the situation that touch controls prove to be too cumbersome, both can be controlled using the built-in voice assistant support.
By far the biggest divide between the two is the shape of the buds themselves. While AirPods Pro goes for the classic Apple earbuds look -- with the extended stem hanging out of the ear -- the Galaxy Buds Live feature a bean shape that is meant to fit completely in the ear. Because of this design, Samsung has only included two wingtip sizes. Whereas Apple includes three different sized silicone tips, giving the user more options for comfort. That may be one of the only advantages that the AirPods Pro has over the Galaxy Buds live though. While both feature a wireless charging case, the AirPods Pro case can only provides up to twenty-four hours of use. In contrast, the Galaxy Buds Live charging case will add an extra five hours of additional battery life, bringing the total up to twenty-nine hours of listening with a fully charged case. As far as the buds themselves go, the AirPods Pro will run four and a half hours on a single charge and the Galaxy Buds Live will last up to eight hours on a single charge, resulting in almost double the battery life.
Another advantage Galaxy Buds Live has over the AirPods Pro is the built-in microphone system. AirPods Pro feature one in-ear mic and one outer mesh mic to help reduce outside noise during calls. However, Galaxy Buds Live steps that up a notch with a total of three mics. A built-in voice pick-up unit amplifies the user's voice to help both outer mics pick up a clear call with minimal unwanted background sound. Samsung even boasts that its earbuds have the "best-in-class call quality."
There are some other minor differences as well, such as color options, but one of the biggest determining factors between the two devices is the price. While the AirPods Pro retail at a whopping $249, the Galaxy Buds Live cuts the price quite significantly with a suggested price of $169. For many, it may come down to personal preferences, such as name brand or style, but for those who want quality earbuds with a cheaper price tag, the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live may just be the way to go.