While you might have a hard time telling them apart if they were placed side-by-side, in conjunction with the new Galaxy S20, Samsung has also announced a new version of its wireless Galaxy Buds with a few notable upgrades.
Starting at $299, the new Galaxy Buds+ cost $50 more than the outgoing model and feature practically the same design right down to the shape of the earbuds and their wireless charging case. However, if you look close, you may notice small differences like the label for the left and right earbuds on new Galaxy Buds+’s case that can help distinguish them from the old models. And besides black and white models, the Galaxy Buds+ will also be available in new Cloud Blue and Cosmic Red colour options.
But more importantly, the new Galaxy Buds+ come with a few upgrades compared to the previous model including double the battery (up to 11 hours on a single charge versus five to six for the original Galaxy Buds), with another 11 hours of battery life stashed in the Galaxy Buds+ wireless charging case.
On top of that, the Galaxy Buds+ also come with additional replaceable ear tips and wings to help ensure a tight but still comfortable fit. And as a way to address complaints about the previous model’s sometimes lacklustre voice quality when making calls, Samsung increased the number of onboard microphones from two to three.
[referenced url=”https://gizmodo.com.au/2020/02/samsung-galaxy-s20-plus-ultra-australian-price-release-date-specs/” thumb=”https://gizmodo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/samsung-s20-3-410×231.jpeg” title=”Samsung Galaxy S20 Phones: Australian Price, Specs, Release Date” excerpt=”The first Samsung Unpacked for 2020 is now in the bag. With it comes the new Samsung Galaxy S20 range which has three phones (and a lot of variants) – the S20, S20+ and S20 Ultra. Thanks to yet another leaky boat, we weren’t surprised by the specs, but now they’re all shiny and official. We have all the details right here for you, including when you can get them in Australia and how much they cost.”]
Finally, Samsung has improved the Galaxy Buds+’s Ambient Sound settings, giving you greater control over how much or how little noise you want to let in from the outside world. That said, in a very brief demo session, the Galaxy Buds+ overall audio quality seemed very similar to what we got from the previous Galaxy Buds, which is to say relatively crisp and audio with clean highs and neutral (not over-emphasised) lows.
However, because the new Galaxy Buds+ don’t have any sort of active noise cancelling tech, they still aren’t really true competitors for fancier wireless earbuds like Apple’s AirPods Pro or Sony’s WF-1000XM3. Instead, it seems Samsung is going after more mid-range BT earbuds like Jabra’s Elite 75t—which are our current favourite mid-range wireless earbuds—though until we get a chance to spend more time with the new Galaxy Buds+, it’s hard to say which option offers the best value for money.
The Galaxy Buds+ will be available on Samsung.com starting February 14, with wider availability from major carriers and retailers starting on March 6.