Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro: Everything you need to know

[ PROMO ] Get additional Samsung ANC Type-C Earphones (worth RM299) for free when you buy the Galaxy S21 series with the promo code SCS21VIP via the Samsung online store. Offer ends 28 Feb 2021.

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At the Galaxy Unpacked 2021 event, the headlining product launch was, of course, the Samsung Galaxy S21 series. Just like previous years however, the Korean company has also announced a couple of new gadgets to go along with its latest flagship smartphone, including the Galaxy Buds Pro and the Galaxy SmartTag.

We’re also covering the SmartTag in a separate post, but for now, let’s talk about the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro.

Price and availability

Three colours are available to match the Galaxy S21’s colourways: Phantom Violet, Phantom Black, and Phantom Silver. Meanwhile, official sales begin from the 15th of January 2021. Official pricing is as follows:

Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro – USD199.99 (~RM807)

We have just received official confirmation on local pricing for the Galaxy Buds Pro in Malaysia:

Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro – RM799

[ PROMO: Get free Samsung USB-C ANC headphones worth RM299 when you pre-order the Galaxy S21 on Samsung E-store with the promo code SCS21VIP ]

Pre-orders in Malaysia for the Galaxy Buds Pro are now open on Samsung’s official site until the 28th of January 2021, and shipping will begin on the 5th of February 2021. Meanwhile, pre-orders will also come with a free Samsung wireless charging pad worth RM239 (while stocks last). For more info on that, click here.

Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro specs

As widely-rumoured prior to its launch, Samsung has abandoned the bean-like design of the Galaxy Buds Live for a more conventional in-ear design for the Galaxy Buds Pro. Not that I’m complaining—I found the overall experience of using the Buds Live to be rather underwhelming, and strange in general.

This should also improve Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) performance, which is available on the Buds Pro as expected. Samsung says that ANC on the Buds Pro is also “intelligent”, promising that they block up to 99 percent of outside noise, while you can also adjust the amount of ANC that you need.

You also get an Ambient Sound mode that’s similar to the Transparency mode on Apple’s AirPods Pro—which would appear to be one of the Buds Pro’s main competitors. Perhaps one of the most unique things to come with Samsung’s latest earbuds is a feature that works in tandem with the Ambient Sound mode: Voice Detect.

This works by automatically lowering the volume of audio playback on the buds whenever speech (from the user) is detected, while turning on the pass-through mode. From what I can tell, the feature will basically allow you to stop for a quick conversation—without needing to remove the earbuds, or even pause playback. What’s interesting is that Samsung says that the earbuds can recognise the wearer’s voice—so that the feature isn’t triggered inadvertently.

To provide “immersive sound”, as Samsung calls it, the Galaxy Buds Pro uses a two-way system via a System-in-Package, made up of a 6.5mm tweeter and a 11mm woofer. This is something that the Korean company is quite proud of, and I’m certainly eager to see how this improves the audio on the Buds Pro.

Meanwhile, you’ll also be able to customise the touch controls on the Buds Pro, and also use Samsung’s Find my Earbuds feature via the Galaxy Wearable app. Something else that looks to be borrowed from the AirPods Pro is Samsung’s new 3D Spatial Audio function. Just like the AirPods Pro, the earbuds intelligently recognises which way your head is turned, and adjusts audio accordingly to provide the “spatial” effect.

The company is also looking to continue in efforts to build the Galaxy ecosystem, and the Galaxy Buds Pro will automatically switch between Galaxy devices in certain situations. For example, if they’re connected to a Galaxy Tab S7, they’ll automatically switch to your Galaxy S21 when you receive a call.

As for battery life, the Galaxy Buds Pro are rated for up to five hours of playback on a single charge with ANC turned on (eight hours without ANC). Meanwhile, the charging case also adds 13 hours onto battery life (20 hours without ANC)—with a total of 18 hours of battery life with ANC turned on.

It’s also worth noting that the Galaxy Buds Pro are rated at IPX7 for water resistance, but you shouldn’t take these with you on swims. They should be able to withstand moderate rainfall and swear, but do note that water damage is usually not covered by standard warranty policies for these type of products.

So, what do you think about the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro? It’s certainly positioned against some of the stronger options in the market today—namely, the AirPods Pro and the Sony WF-1000XM3. Meanwhile, if you’d like to know more about the Galaxy S21 and the SmartTag, keep your eyes peeled on SoyaCincau.com for the full coverage.

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