Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 2 are officially here, and as expected, they’re $219 noise-cancelling earbuds that aim to undercut Apple’s now-ageing AirPods Pro.
The second-gen Galaxy Buds are some of the sleekest-looking earbuds Samsung’s made to date. The company says the Galaxy Buds 2 are the smallest, lightest earbuds the company has made so far. No weird bean shape, no bulk, no distractingly shiny finish. These things are little, subtle, and if you snag a pair in olive or lavender, they’re damn near adorable. (They also come in white and graphite, which you can see above.) The white charging case comes with interior trim that matches the bud shade, which is a nice touch.
The buds come with three sizes of silicone tips to choose from, and the Galaxy Wearable app now offers an earbud fit tip test to help you find the best fit. In terms of sound, the buds have two-way dynamic speakers. Two outer beamforming mics, one inner mic, and a voice pickup unit mean that your voice should come through clearly on phone calls.
But the big deal here is the active noise cancellation, which has now become standard for earbuds in this price range. You can toggle between an ambient mode to hear some of the outside world, ANC, or none of the above using the Wearable app.
The competition for wireless earbuds is pretty fierce these days. Nothing’s $135 Ear (1), Amazon’s second-gen $165 Echo Buds, and Beats’ $205 Studio Buds all offer ANC for less than the $399 AirPods Pro, which means Apple seriously needs to step its game up for the next-gen version.
But until then, the Galaxy Buds 2 look to be a solid alternative to its rivals from Nothing, Amazon, and Beats, especially if you have a Galaxy phone.