These days, wireless earbuds need to do a lot more than play music. They need to connect reliably to all of our devices, protect against the cacophony of a commute, deliver clear vocals in blustery conditions, and more. And, at the same, it has to look both stylish and discreet. Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro does many of these things effortlessly.

Let me get something out of the way. Yes, in a couple of ways, the Buds3 Pro look like AirPods Pro (second generation) but there are also many differences.

Focus on comfort

The case comes with a transparent top flap with flat sides on the top and bottom which allow you to set down the case in any orientation.

The IP57 water and dust-resistant earbuds depart from the jelly bean design that Samsung used in prior models. They adopted a stem design, however, Samsung doesn’t want it to be called a stem… they want to call it a blade. The South Korean company has put white LED light strips on the buds that illuminate when you open or close the case, put it in pairing mode or use the Find My feature. I wish that it was RGB that you could control in the app.

Inside the casing of each earbud are two channels — a dynamic driver and a planar magnetic one — and dual amp to power each driver

As for comfort and feel the buds fit very well. The earbuds offer a far better fit than the previous generation did. Since the shape is quite “normal” it snugly sits in the ear canals. The stem shape is different — it has a unique polygonal angular shape which is comfortable when interacting with squeeze gestures. But there’s more than pinch gestures, there are swipe gestures which I love. The placement differs from what you’d find on the AirPods Pro since the swipe area is on the back instead of the front, so you’ll have to use your thumb instead of your index finger to adjust the volume and some people prefer this. I’m glad there are both squeeze and swipe gestures so you can have all the typical interactions and swipe volume controls on both earbuds. That’s a massive win for someone who is a solo earbud user.

Since there is IP57 rating, a secure fit and ambient sound modes that allow sirens to pass through, the Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro would do as well on a commute

Going beyond music

With ANC on, the buds offer six hours of listening time on a single charge with an additional 26 hours with the case. This is substantially more than the Buds2 Pro. Perhaps the extra battery life comes from the slightly wider stem where you can store more charge in the slightly bigger battery.

It supports Bluetooth 5.4 and LE audio. There is solid connectivity even over longer distances. When I was far from my smartphone I managed to get a stable connection. Coming with Bluetooth 5.4 is Aurcast support, which lets you share your audio stream with an unlimited number of devices. Effortlessly transform your Samsung TV, Samsung Galaxy smartphone or tablet into a radio source to start engaging with others.

If you have a Samsung Galaxy device, you can utilise the same lower-latency gaming mode as in the past but it is not available on non-Galaxy devices if you have high-quality audio turned on. Essentially, using wired earbuds or headphones is the best route for professional gaming. There is 360 audio support which provides a more immersive experience while watching content like movies on your phone or Samsung TV.

There is Samsung Seamless Codec, which compresses and encodes up to 24bit/96kHz audio. Then it decodes on the Galaxy Buds3 Pro, maintaining the 24bit/96kHz, high-fidelity sound so you can hear the intricate details, just as it was intended.

One good thing about the buds is the presence of Find My feature, which lets you find the device if you drop it somewhere. Sadly, there is no ultrawide band support, so there is no precise location data. But at least the Samsung phone notifies you if you leave the buds behind.

Solid sound

The microphone needed improvement from that of the previous generation. The mic is closer to the moth, so calls have become super clear. A new feature offers capture quality of your voice up to a frequency range of 16 kHz which would make your voice sound clearer… as if you are speaking into the phone. The feature is restricted to a Galaxy device. The feature is useful, especially when you are in noisy surroundings.

I’m thrilled with the improvement Samsung has made regarding ANC and transparency. It can keep up with Apple AirPods Pro 2. The ANC performs very well during flights. Yes, I use earbuds on planes to keep all the noise out and you should try this technique.

The earbuds are perfect when used with other Samsung Galaxy devices

Coming to sound, music sounds more natural. There is clarity and energy on the high end, which is a departure from the sound of the original Galaxy Buds Pro. It manages to avoid the bloated sound that so many earbuds are prone to have. The latest version swaps the high-frequency driver for a new planar unit. There are also dual amplifiers to power the drivers, allowing detailed sonic performance. The buds have greater clarity and separation between frequency ranges rather than having a single driver trying to carry the entire load. And take your listening experience to the next level with Galaxy AI-boosted Noise Control and real-time interpretation.

Samsung owns Harman Kardon that is known for its many audio brands, like JBL, AKG and more. In other words, Samsung has enough expertise in audio and this can well be seen in the buds. The default sound profile is solid. Perhaps I like the EQ in the app most: There is a nine-band EQ option.

But you need to remember that to get the most out of the earbuds, it’s advisable to use Galaxy devices.

If you want one of the best microphones on an earbud, this is the device for you. And if you are looking for a well-rounded earbud for your Android phone, this, once again, is for you. Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro is a solid pair of entertainers.

At a glance

Device: Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro

Price: ₹19,999

High notes

Support for high-quality audio

Highly customisable controls

Excellent EQ controls

Highly improved microphone and sound quality

Muffled notes

No RGB lighting on the buds, only white

The design can divide fans

No ultrawide band support