In the recent Galaxy Unpacked event, Samsung finally revealed the Galaxy Buds 2 after months of leaks and speculation. As the newest addition to the Buds family, it replaces the Galaxy Buds Plus from the lineup.
The Galaxy Buds Pro was launched early this year alongside the Galaxy S21 series. It is currently the best wireless earbuds from Samsung and it works seamlessly within their ecosystem. The new Galaxy Buds 2 appears to be a cheaper alternative while still providing active noise cancellation and almost similar battery life.
Pricing
The Galaxy Buds Pro was launched with a USD 199.99 price tag, while the new Galaxy Buds 2 are priced currently at USD 149.99. Considering both of them offer ANC, the new Buds 2 being USD 50 cheaper might make them a big hit. In Malaysia, you can get the Buds Pro for RM799, but there is no local pricing for the Buds 2 yet.
The current Samsung Buds lineup consists of the Galaxy Buds Pro, Galaxy Buds Live, and Galaxy Buds 2. With the newest addition being the cheapest, let’s see how it compares in other aspects as well.
Design & colours
Looking at the designs of both models, they do look quite identical. Both charging cases share the same rounded square design to fit easily into most pockets. The Galaxy Buds Pro has an exterior that matches the interior and bud colours, while the Galaxy Buds 2 has a white exterior with an interior that matches the colour of the buds. The buds have rubber tips that are replaceable and feature touch sensors.
The Galaxy Buds 2 comes in four matte colours: graphite, white, olive and lavender, while the Galaxy Buds Pro on the other hand has a glossy finish and come in only black, white and phantom violet. While it’s definitely more subtle, the new colours on the Buds 2 still look quite clean and modern.
Another way the Buds 2 is arguably better than the Buds Pro is in the weight department. The buds themselves on the Buds 2 are 5.0g which is 1.3g lighter than the Galaxy Buds Pro. The Galaxy Buds 2 case itself is also lighter at 41.2g compared to the Pro’s 44.9g. This means the Buds 2 are Samsung’s smallest and lightest wireless earbuds ever.
Sound quality
We have not tested the new Galaxy Buds 2 yet, but we do know that they feature Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) just like the Galaxy Buds Pro. Both pairs have an Ambient Sound feature and the rubber tips provide passive noise isolation as well. The Buds Pro does have Intelligent ANC and Dolby Head Tracking though, which the Galaxy Buds 2 does not have. Dolby technology with head tracking provides 360-degree spatial audio to give you a more dynamic listening experience. Meanwhile, the intelligent ANC can automatically switch to ambient mode when it detects that you’re having a voice conversation and it will resume ANC once you’re done.
Both the Galaxy Buds Pro and the Buds 2 have two separate speakers on each bud, a woofer and a tweeter. The woofers seem to be the same size with both of them being 11mm, while the Buds Pro tweeters are slightly bigger at 6.5mm compared to the Buds 2’s 6.3mm tweeters.
The Galaxy Buds Pro has three microphones, consisting of a dual mic array and a mic mesh chamber. Meanwhile, the new Galaxy Buds 2 has four sound input sources: two outer beamforming mics, an inner mic as well as a voice pickup unit. These might result in even better voice quality during calls compared to the Galaxy Buds Pro.
Battery life
The battery life of the Galaxy Buds 2 is quite similar to the Galaxy Buds Pro but it offers improved fast charging.
With ANC off, the Galaxy Buds Pro can get 8 hours of playback from the buds and a total of 28 hours of playback with the charging case. The Galaxy Buds 2 can get 7.5 hours with the buds and 29 hours of total playback with the charging case.
Both Galaxy Buds Pro and Buds 2 offer 5 hours of playback on a single charge with ANC turned on. With the charging case, the Buds 2 offers a total of 20 hours of music playback, which is 2 hours more than the Buds Pro.
Both of them support both wireless charging and USB-C fast charging. The Galaxy Buds Pro can get 85 minutes of playtime with 10 minutes of charging, while the Galaxy Buds 2 can get 150 minutes of playtime with only 10 minutes of charging. Even more impressive, the Galaxy Buds 2 can get 40 minutes of playtime from just 3 minutes of charging. Now that’s a big improvement.
Controls and features
In terms of controls and extra features, the two buds are quite similar. Both Buds 2 and Buds Pro have touch controls on the buds themselves, as well as the different ANC modes available.
While both of them have UL Verification, Samsung claims that the Galaxy Buds 2 can cut external background noise by up to 98%, while the Galaxy Buds Pro can cut up to 99%. They both also have support for equalising your audio to get the sound signature you want, as well as three different ear tip sizes to match your ears.
The only things that might justify the USD 50 difference between the two are the 360-degree spatial audio, intelligent ANC, and the premium look that the Buds Pro has.
The Galaxy Buds 2 are the cheapest model in the current Buds lineup priced at USD 149.99 (about RM635). After comparing the two devices, it seems that the Galaxy Buds 2 is a better value buy compared to the Buds Pro. The availability and pricing in Malaysia have yet to be revealed, but you can learn more on their product page.
There are other alternatives with active noise cancelling that you can consider, including the Sony WF-1000XM3 which is one of our favourite wireless earbuds. These days, you can grab a pair for less than RM500 during online sales. Other ANC earbuds to consider include the Oppo Enco W51 that’s priced at RM369 as well as the Honor Earbuds 2 Lite that’s going for RM299.
