Apple AirPods Pro vs Samsung Galaxy Buds Live

Years after Apple led the shift to wireless earphones its market dominating buds finally have a proper competitor.

When Apple releases a new smartphone, it is immediately compared against the flagship Samsung Galaxy alternative and vice versa.

The two brands have been battling for your attention for years and even poke fun at each other in advertising and press conferences.

A new battlefront has been emerging though and it’s finally hit a level where there are two worthy opponents.

The Galaxy Buds Live were announced alongside the Note 20 earlier this month.

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Apple has dominated the earphones market with their AirPods range. Anyone who catches public transport or has been out in public at all in recent times will know the white stems hanging from our ears. They’re iconic.

Samsung on the other hand has spent a few years releasing iterations of their Buds range and while they’re good, they’re not great, hence most Android users seek models from audio brands like Bose, Sennheiser, Sony and Jabra.

The latest model from Samsung named the Buds Live is the model that will finally put Samsung on the map when it comes to earphones. But, which of the two brands holds the crown in this category?

The AirPods Pro is Apple’s top of the line model with active noise cancelling and a short stem holding the capacitive controls.

They rest in a case which charges the AirPods and it can be wirelessly charged.

The Samsung Buds Live look like a pair of beans with a paint job, use active noise cancellation and also live in a case which supports wireless charging.

It’s fair to say they are worthy opponents.

AIRPODS PRO – A RECAP

Apple's AirPods Pro ear phones dominate the true wireless earphone market.

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The design of these AirPods place them in the ear and enter the canal.

They use silicone tips to create a seal and use two microphones to create a noise cancellation experience.

The stems allow you to play, pause, skip and control noise cancellation.

While they’re being worn they’re always listening so “Hey Siri” will allow you to request a new song, ask random questions and hear responses without touching your iPhone.

The set up process of using the AirPods Pro for an iPhone starts the second you lift the lid on the AirPods case and could not be simpler.

Battery life on the AirPods Pro is close to 4 hours before you’ll need to return them to the case to be recharged and you’ll be able to do that multiple times before the case will need a recharge too.

The AirPods live in the case securely as they’re inserted and some magnets hold them there to ensure you don’t lose them each time you lift the lid.

It is important to note that while the AirPods range does work on Android devices, not all features or controls work as seamlessly, especially if you call for help from Siri.

Available in white only you’ll certainly blend in with other companions on the train and your earphones will never be a conversation starter.

Priced at $399 they are the most expensive in this battle.

SAMSUNG GALAXY BUDS LIVE – THE NEW CONTENDER

The Samsung Galaxy Buds Live.

Samsung can run TV commercials and billboards all day for the next 12 months and these new earphones will still be referred to as Beans.

While we appreciate Samsung sticking to their naming convention, you can’t design earphones like this and not recognise their true design origins.

While the inspiration for the AirPods came from a popular scene in Something About Mary, the Samsung designer surely had a malfunction in the kitchen and noticed the legumes were comfortable.

The Buds Live is a lighter overall package to the AirPods Pro, yet the buds themselves weigh a whopping 0.2 grams more.

The case matches the Buds which are available in a bronze, black or white variant.

The case has a matte sheen while the Buds themselves are glossy and have a mirror finish. The Buds Live rest in the case like real beans and are held gently with magnetic tips, again they won’t fall out easily.

The case can be charged using a USB-C connection or charged wirelessly, especially handy given that this is the same connection as all new Android devices, and given the fact that many new Android smartphones feature reverse wireless charging, you can get some juice from just holding the case against the back of your phone – not iPhones though sorry.

Setting them up with a Samsung device follows a similar process to AirPods and an iPhone, they see each other without a formal introduction and you’re able to get started very quickly.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds Live iPhone app.

The Buds Live work best using a companion app, available for Android and iOS, which guide you through using the product, allow you to customise the touch and hold function for each ear, access the equaliser and help you find your earbuds if you misplace them.

Throwing the Buds Live into your ears does require getting used to and given these do not protrude into the ear canal you’d worry they’ll easily fall out.

The Buds Live have a very small silicone ring that can be changed to suit your ear size but once they are being worn you could do cartwheels, run and even flip without these falling out. Controls require a tap, double tap, triple tap or tap and hold for the various functions. Tap and hold on an iPhone can be programmed to trigger Siri and even the “Hey Siri” command still works.

Samsung plays nicer with their competitor than the other way round.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds Live still pack a secure fit even without going all the way in the ear.

The listening experience on the Buds Live is extremely surprising. Sitting at home and listening to music is thoroughly enjoyable.

The noise cancellation however is not as strong as the AirPods Pro so we were still able to hear murmurs on the trains and other ambient noise when walking along footpaths etc.

It is a noticeable noise cancellation, however without the intrusion to the ear canal creating a tighter seal, Samsung was unlikely to win in this category.

The noise cancellation on Samsung’s Galaxy Buds Live underperforms compared to the AirPods Pro.

In our time wearing the Buds Live we were stopped a number of times with people wanting to know more about them while others did not notice they were there. They’re small and simple enough to be hidden but the shining bronze we tested can still make a statement. The microphones in the Buds Live were also good for calls and we even connected them to our computer for use in Zoom and Microsoft Teams meetings with no complaints from anyone on the call about the audio quality.

Battery life on these small beans is really impressive with close to six hours of non-stop music and you’ll be able to recharge three times from the case itself. This does mean you’ll outlast the AirPods Pro in the same situation, if you’re going to need such a long usage period. The Buds Live are priced at $319 in either colour variant.

THE VERDICT

It will be hard to ever convince an Apple user to switch to Samsung headphones and vice versa. With that said, we appreciate how much effort Samsung has put into making the Buds Live iPhone friendly. The companion app, ability to use Siri and without any real loss of functionality makes it potentially compelling. Samsung is smart to do this as it may foster a new relationship which could lead to a smartphone change later on. Furthermore, the cost saving and sexy design makes the Buds Live a more desirable package. On listening experience alone the Apple AirPods Pro still leads when it comes to the noise cancellation but in a quiet location where ambient noise is not a factor you’d struggle to complain about either. What this all essentially means is that Android smartphone users no longer need to have AirPods envy. The Buds Live are the AirPods for Android and this is one less excuse to be tied to Apple.

Continue the conversation with Geoff Quattromani on Twitter @GQuattromani and listen to his podcast ‘Technology Uncorked’