Samsung’s Galaxy Buds+ ups the ante in the earbuds market
Samsung launched new ear buds at its San Francisco event.
Samsung’s launch event in San Francisco today was mainly about phones, but it also announced new earbuds. However Samsung’s new Galaxy Samsung Buds+ will have to compete in a growing market of wireless ear-buds that is very crowded. The competition includes Apple’s AirPods and its latest offering, AirPods Pro.
The Galaxy Buds+ look similar to the previous Galaxy Buds version. However there are significant changes.
Battery life is better. You get 11 hours of music playback in one use, and the buds recharge when placed back in the case.
Overall you get 22 hours of music playback before needing to recharge the case, which can be done via a cable or a wireless charger. You can even recharge using the power sharing capabilities of the Galaxy S10 or S20.
If you are desperate for a quick recharge such as before a gym workout, three minutes of charging will deliver 60 minutes of use.
The Buds+ have touch capabilities on each ear letting you play, pause, skip tracks and answer calls. Samsung has also added a customisable function for tap and hold to trigger an action such as opening a Spotify playlist. This functionality enhances hands free control. There’s no need to reach for your smartphone.
To be truly competitive, Samsung is enabling the Buds+ to work on any device, including Apple products.
The Buds+ will be available from March 6th for $299. At this price, it meets brands like Apple and Jabra head on.
The Apple AirPods with a Wireless Charging Case has an RRP of $319 while the Jabra Elite 75t, which doesn’t have wireless charging has an RRP of $299.
The key differences between them starts with battery life. The AirPods will play music for five hours while the Jabra will perform for 7.5 hours, both falling short of the claimed 11 hours from Samsung.
One change of the buds cases gives you 24 hours playback with Apple, 28 hours with Jabra, and 22 hours with Samsung. None fall short of impressive all-day battery life.
Jabra focuses on water resistance with a rating of IP55, backed by a two year warranty against damage. while Apple prefers you don’t sweat near their AirPods. Samsung claims Buds+ is splash resistant to IPX2 levels.
Given that we’re often using headphones to make phone calls, the impressive Jabra Elite 75t houses four microphones in each bud which helps it eliminate ambient noise in the background during calls.
Samsung and Apple both include calling “beamforming” with three microphones built into the Buds+ and two with AirPods.
Samsung offers its Buds+ in black, white and blue, providing customers with more choice than their competitors.
Expect to see real world testing and a full review in the near future.
Geoff Quattromani is a tech commentator across radio, print, online and television. Check out his podcast “Technology Uncorked” for new information each week.
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