Apple's AirPods Pro 2 vs. Samsung's Galaxy Buds3 Pro

Samsung this week introduced its latest earbuds, the Galaxy Buds3 Pro, which look quite a bit like Apple's AirPods Pro 2. Given the similarities, we thought we'd compare Samsung's new earbuds to the AirPods Pro.


Design wise, you could potentially mistake Samsung's Galaxy Buds3 Pro for the AirPods Pro. The Buds3 Pro have the same general shape and a silicone tip, though it's worth noting that the Buds3 Pro come in both white and gray, so you're not limited to white as you are with the AirPods Pro 2. The charging case is similar to the AirPods Charging Case too, but there's a transparent upper portion.

The Buds3 Pro sound great out of the box, but there is an option to adjust the sound using the equalizer, which isn't possible with the AirPods Pro 2. The Active Noise Cancellation and the "Ambient Mode" or transparency on the Buds3 Pro work as well as those features on the AirPods Pro, and it's tough to tell the difference between them.

Samsung's Buds3 Pro do not perform as well as the AirPods Pro when it comes to ambient noise detection to adjust sound, however. The AirPods Pro can adjust sound when someone is speaking to you so you can hear them, but the Buds3 Pro struggled to do the same.

The Buds3 Pro have a built-in LED light for aesthetics, and there are controls on the stem for adjusting volume. Samsung also added an interpreter mode for translating foreign languages when connected to the most recent Galaxy phones, but the feature wasn't super accurate.

Though the Buds3 Pro are similar to the AirPods Pro 2, it's hard to see the two as competitors because you're only going to want to use the Buds3 Pro with Android devices, while the AirPods Pro 2 work best with Apple devices. iPhone users should stick with the AirPods, while Samsung users will want to check out the Buds3 Pro.

Samsung's Galaxy Buds3 Pro are priced at $250, which is the same price as the AirPods Pro 2. Pre-orders are available now ahead of a July 24 launch date.

Tag: Samsung

Popular Stories

iOS 26 Feature

iOS 26.1 to iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Saturday October 18, 2025 11:00 am PDT by
iOS 26 was released last month, but the software train never stops, and iOS 26.1 beta testing is already underway. So far, iOS 26.1 makes both Apple Intelligence and Live Translation on compatible AirPods available in additional languages, and it includes some other minor changes across the Apple Music, Calendar, Photos, Clock, and Safari apps. More features and changes will follow in future ...
ios 26 1 liquid glass opaque

iOS 26.1 Beta 4 Lets Users Control Liquid Glass Transparency with New Toggle

Monday October 20, 2025 10:57 am PDT by
With the fourth betas of iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS 26.1, Apple has introduced a new setting that's designed to allow users to customize the look of Liquid Glass. The toggle lets users select from a clear look for Liquid Glass, or a tinted look. Clear is the current Liquid Glass design, which is more transparent and shows the background underneath buttons, bars, and menus, while tinted ...
iPhone Siri Glow

Some Apple Employees Have 'Concerns' About iOS 26.4's Revamped Siri

Sunday October 19, 2025 7:39 am PDT by
iOS 26.4 is expected to introduce a revamped version of Siri powered by Apple Intelligence, but not everyone is satisfied with how well it works. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said some of Apple's software engineers have "concerns" about the overhauled Siri's performance. However, he did not provide any specific details about the shortcomings. iOS 26.4 will...
iOS 26

iOS 26.0.2 Update for iPhones Coming Soon

Friday October 17, 2025 7:35 am PDT by
Apple's software engineers continue to internally test iOS 26.0.2, according to MacRumors logs, which have been a reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions. iOS 26.0.2 will be a minor update that addresses bugs and/or security vulnerabilities, but we do not know any specific details yet. The update will likely be released by the end of next week. Last month, Apple released iOS 26.0.1,...
Apple iPad Pro hero M5

New iPad Pro Has Six Key Upgrades Beyond M5 Chip

Saturday October 18, 2025 10:57 am PDT by
While the new iPad Pro's headline feature is the M5 chip, the device has some other changes, including N1 and C1X chips, faster storage speeds, and more. With the M5 chip, the new iPad Pro has up to a 20% faster CPU and up to a 40% faster GPU compared to the previous model with the M4 chip, according to Geekbench 6 results. Keep in mind that 256GB and 512GB configurations have a 9-core CPU,...
maxresdefault

Here's How the iOS 26.1 Transparency Toggle Changes Liquid Glass

Monday October 20, 2025 1:55 pm PDT by
With the fourth beta of iOS 26.1, Apple added a toggle that makes Liquid Glass more opaque and reduces transparency. We tested the beta to see where the toggle works and what it looks like. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. If you have the latest iOS 26.1 beta, you can go to Settings > Display and Brightness to get to the new option. Tap on Liquid Glass, then...
HomePod mini and Apple TV

Apple's Next Rumored Products: New HomePod Mini, Apple TV, and More

Thursday October 16, 2025 9:13 am PDT by
Apple on Wednesday updated the 14-inch MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, and Vision Pro with its next-generation M5 chip, but previous rumors have indicated that the company still plans to announce at least a few additional products before the end of the year. The following Apple products have at one point been rumored to be updated in 2025, although it is unclear if the timeframe for any of them has...
iOS 26

What's New in iOS 26.1 Beta 4

Monday October 20, 2025 1:02 pm PDT by
Even though we're at the fourth beta of iOS 26.1, Apple is continuing to add new features. In fact, the fourth beta has some of the biggest changes that we'll get when iOS 26.1 releases to the public later this month. We've rounded up what's new below. Liquid Glass Transparency Toggle Apple added a toggle for customizing the look of Liquid Glass. In Settings > Display and Brightness,...
kohler toilet sensor

Kohler Launches $600 iPhone-Connected Toilet Camera That Monitors Your Health Through Waste Analysis

Monday October 20, 2025 1:42 pm PDT by
Kohler is expanding its line of bathroom products with Dekoda, an iPhone-connected device that's designed to be attached to a toilet rim (via The Verge). The device's included "sensors" point into the toilet bowl, allowing it to analyze what goes on in the bathroom. According to Kohler, Dekoda is a health tracker that can monitor gut health and hydration, as well as detect the presence of...

Top Rated Comments

jimbobb24 Avatar
17 months ago
The Buds3 3 have a distinctive look. I can't quite place it but they really remind me of something else, especially the white ones. It will come to me in a minute. Their new watch also reminds me of something.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
XboxEvolved Avatar
17 months ago
It’s really odd to me that Samsung tries to rip on Apple and constantly also steals from them as well.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
knappeduivel Avatar
17 months ago

I just dropped an APP2 in a bowl of vinegar and chilli oil (alongside some dumplings) 30 minutes ago. Pulled the thing out, looking very yellow... Ran it under a tap for 30 seconds with a good soapy scrub to return it to pure white. A quick dry with a tissue, and it's working fine. I'm not saying this would not be the case with Buds3, but it seemed topical!
Please repeat this with the Buds3 for comparison. Thanks!
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Hogswarts Avatar
17 months ago
While AirPods Pro don't have a traditional equalizer, they do support Headphone Accommodations (HA) on iPhone, iPad and soon on macOS Sequoia. HA not only provides a reasonably quick way to adjust tonality of media consumed but also to adjust how transparency mode sounds... and you can even enter formal audiogram data. For people with mild to moderately impaired hearing, $200 AirPods Pro with HA sound far better for both speech and music than do traditional hearing aids costing many times more, and AirPods switch automatically between Apple devices. AirPods Max also support HA but are obviously less convenient to carry around. Some Beats headphones and buds also support it.
I just wish tvOS and visionOS supported HA.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CausticSoda Avatar
17 months ago
I just dropped an APP2 in a bowl of vinegar and chilli oil (alongside some dumplings) 30 minutes ago. Pulled the thing out, looking very yellow... Ran it under a tap for 30 seconds with a good soapy scrub to return it to pure white. A quick dry with a tissue, and it's working fine. I'm not saying this would not be the case with Buds3, but it seemed topical!
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BigBrotherNowWatching Avatar
17 months ago
Airpos Pro 2 compared to the 60 bucks soundcore liberty 2?

Soundcore wins so clear, you regret buying Apple headphones.


But HomePod 1 still sounds great.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)