Alongside the new Galaxy Z Foldables and Galaxy Watch 5, Samsung also announced the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, but can it take on the AirPods Pro? Apple is expected to launch the 2nd generation AirPods Pro alongside the iPhone 14 series later this year. They will be arriving three years after the first-generation model.
The AirPods Pro 2 will reportedly have a new design, with some rumors saying Apple may ditch the stems for a design similar to that of the Beats Studio Buds or that of rivals such as Samsung’s Galaxy Buds and Google’s Pixel Buds series. However, others have also reported little to no change in the design of the earbuds and that Apple will retain the stem design it helped popularize.
Samsung and Apple’s earbuds look nothing alike, save for having a closed-fit design and replaceable ear tips. The key difference in terms of design is that the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro doesn’t have a protruding stem like the AirPods Pro. They are also rated IPX7 for water resistance, compared to Apple’s earbuds which have an IPX4 rating. Concerning weight, the two pairs of earbuds are almost identical as the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro weigh 5.5.grams per earbud while the AirPods Pro weighs 5.4 grams per bud. In addition, Samsung’s new earbuds can be purchased in Graphite, White and Bora Purple to match the new Bora Purple Galaxy S22. In contrast, the AirPods Pro is only available in white.
Galaxy Buds 2 Pro Vs AirPods Pro: ANC & Battery Life
The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro uses a dual-speaker system that is made up of 10mm woofers and 5.3mm tweeters. In contrast, the AirPods Pro has 11mm drivers. Both earbuds have touch controls for playback and calls. They also have Active Noise Cancellation that dynamically adjusts. However, each one of Samsung’s earbuds uses a three-microphone system whereas the AirPods Pro only has two microphones per earbud. Furthermore, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro has what Samsung calls Intelligent ANC, which can detect the user’s voice and switch to ‘Intelligent Conversation Mode.’ In this mode, ANC is automatically turned off, ambient mode or transparent mode is activated, and the playback volume is lowered, so users can have a conversation without the need to take out their earbuds. Once the conversation is over, the earbuds auto-switch to their previous settings.
The AirPods Pro also has a transparency mode, but users must manually turn it on by pressing the force sensor on the stem. The AirPods also have a feature called ‘Conversation Boost,’ which focuses on the voice of the person in front of the speaker so that they can hear them clearly, even in a noisy environment. Both pairs of earbuds have Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking, although Samsung calls its own Enhanced 360 Audio and has Direct Multi-Channel. The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro has Bluetooth 5.3, supports Easy Pair (Samsung devices only), and supports AAC, SBC and Samsung Seamless 24-bit Hi-Fi (only works with a Samsung device) codecs. On the other hand, the AirPods Pro has Bluetooth 5.0, seamlessly connects to Apple devices, and supports the AAC codec.
Samsung’s earbuds have a battery life of five hours on a single charge and 18 hours with ANC. However, with ANC off, the battery life is eight hours on a single charge and a total of 29 hours with the case. In contrast, the AirPods Pro has a battery life of more than 24 hours with the charging case, but the earbuds themselves provide up to five hours (4.5 hours with ANC on) on a single charge. Unlike the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, whose case has a USB-C charging port, the MagSafe case of the AirPods Pro has a lightning port. However, both pairs of earbuds support wireless charging. They also support fast charging — a five-minute charge will provide one hour of playback time on both models. Apple’s AirPods Pro is priced at $249, which is a tad higher than the $229 Galaxy Buds 2 Pro.
