Abstract

• Utilizing AirPods on an Android system limits their performance in comparison with on an iPhone.
• The Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 are a trendy and feature-rich different.
• The Buds 3 combine properly with all Android telephones, not simply Samsung ones.

I’ve used Apple’s earbuds for so long as I can bear in mind, however I additionally use an Android telephone. Sadly, it is no secret that Apple prioritizes the iPhone, which implies utilizing AirPods on Android is not a perfect expertise. I sought a good different and I discovered it in Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 3.

Utilizing AirPods on Android Is not Splendid

As somebody who has gone via many pairs of Apple’s wired EarPods (which makes me surprise about their construct high quality, or my tough dealing with), I feel they’re nice. I’d suggest them to anybody as a cushty pair of headphones. So after I was attempting to find a wi-fi different for my S25 telephone, the AirPods appeared an apparent alternative.

Besides, Apple notoriously loves its walled backyard. When you purchase an Apple services or products, the corporate desires you to purchase different ones too—it is how you will get the perfect expertise. There are a lot of examples of this, however the reality it took over 5 years for its streaming service Apple TV+ to return to Android telephones says loads. And even then, it is nonetheless lacking options out there on different platforms.

The identical applies to the AirPods. These are nice buds on paper; they appear cool and sound good, and we reviewed the AirPods Pro 2 favorably. However except you are going to use them totally on an Apple system like an iPhone, you miss out on a great deal of options.

Whereas AirPods work as customary Bluetooth headphones on Android, you lose skills resembling automatic switching between devices, activating a voice assistant, customizable gestures, and in-ear detection. A few of this may be restored with third-party apps, but it surely’s not good.

So, as somebody who makes use of an Android telephone and desires to make use of options like these, I needed to dismiss the AirPods and look elsewhere. That is after I found the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3.

Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 3 Are Fashionable and Sound Nice

At first look, it is clear that the Galaxy Buds 3 have been impressed by the design that Apple popularized. The buds relaxation in your ear, with a brief stem hanging down. They arrive in two colours, white and silver, with the previous wanting very very similar to an AirPod. I went for the silver, partially as a result of they appear much less conspicuous when worn.

Alongside the colour, you additionally want to decide on whether to buy the standard Buds or the Pro. The Professional has a couple of further options, like a two-way speaker in comparison with a one-way, and the design is barely totally different because of the silicone suggestions. Personally, I do not discover suggestions snug, which is without doubt one of the foremost causes I favored Apple’s EarPods, and it is why I opted for the usual Galaxy Buds.

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  Samsung Galaxy Buds 3
  

  $104 $110 Save
  $6

  The Galaxy Buds 3 are Samsung’s on a regular basis earbuds, providing high-end options with out the premium price ticket of the Buds 3 Professional. They embrace 11mm dynamic drivers, lively noise cancellation, and spectacular battery life.

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  Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Professional
  

  Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 3 Professional are the corporate’s latest flagship earbuds, that includes AI smarts like interpreter mode and voice detection. Anticipate top-notch audio high quality with 10.5mm dynamic drivers paired with 6.1mm planar drivers.

It is subjective, however I feel the Buds look glossy. The stems—or “blades” as Samsung calls them—aren’t obnoxiously lengthy, they usually’re color-coded on the underside so that you shortly know your left from proper. Additionally they magnetically snap into the case, which has a clear high so you’ll be able to immediately see whether or not you have put the Buds again.

Importantly, the Buds 3 sound nice throughout a spread of media like music and podcasts. I used the unusually bean-shaped Galaxy Buds Live for a interval once they launched in 2020, however I ultimately reverted to Apple’s EarPods as a result of the Buds Dwell sounded noticeably worse. Fortunately, Samsung has made large enhancements in that division with the Buds 3.

The Buds 3 Work Wonders With Android

That is all properly and good, however what makes the Buds 3 even higher is how completely they work with Android. You do not essentially want to make use of a Samsung telephone both; the Galaxy Wearable app is your gateway to a number of useful options.

When the Buds 3 are paired with my Galaxy S25 phone, some issues I can do embrace:

• Regulate the equalizer to set the sound to my preferences, and allow options like dialogue boosting and loudness normalization.
• Change what occurs after I pinch the earbuds, like toggling lively noise canceling on the left bud and activating Gemini on the precise. You may as well swipe the earbuds to regulate quantity.
• Have my notifications learn aloud to save lots of me pulling out my telephone, and toggle these per app.
• Pause media when an earbud is eliminated and resume it when it is inserted.
• Receive neck stretch reminders if I am hunching over, to assist enhance my posture.

Ought to You Purchase the Buds 3?

I have been capable of customise the Buds 3 precisely to my liking, which makes them a breeze to make use of—one thing I would not have been capable of obtain if I used to be utilizing the AirPods on Android—and I am very proud of my buy.

That stated, there are many great wireless earbuds on sale, so you are not caught for alternate options. Plus, when you’re already deep within the Apple ecosystem, you are higher off with the AirPods.