Hands on with the Galaxy Buds+: The AirPods Pro have some competition

In addition to the Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra, Samsung also unveiled the Galaxy Buds+ at its Unpacked event Tuesday in San Francisco. 

With longer battery life in certain situations than both the original Buds and the AirPods Pro, a compatible iOS app, and a very attractive $149.99 price tag, you might be second guessing those Apple earbuds right now.

When streaming music, the new Buds+ offer up to 11 hours of battery life on a single charge. That’s four hours longer than the original Galaxy Buds and 6.5 hours longer than the AirPods Pro.

Meanwhile, the Buds+ case offers an additional 11 hours of juice, which brings battery life to a total of 22 hours of play time. 

In comparison, the Galaxy Buds’ cradle comes with seven hours of battery life, which brings you to 13 hours of total play time. The AirPods Pro, with its wireless charging case, last slightly longer at over 24 hours.

As for talk time on the Buds+, Samsung says users can expect up to 7.5 hours on a single charge and 15 hours with the cradle. 

That’s 2.5 hours longer than the original Buds on a single charge and four hours longer with the case. The AirPods Pro only last up to 3.5 hours when it comes to talk time, but when paired with the charging case, that increases to 18 hours.

And, like the Galaxy Buds, the Buds+ case charges via USB-C but also works with any Qi-based wireless charger. That means you can take advantage of the Wireless PowerShare feature on the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S20 phones. 

If you’re not familiar with PowerShare, the feature turns your phone into a wireless charger. All you need to do is place the Buds+ on the back of the device and it’ll power up your earbuds.

In terms of sound quality, the Buds+ come equipped with audio tuning by AKG. The earbuds also feature two-way dynamic speakers and three microphones (two outer, one inner).

And, like the AirPods Pro, the Buds+ come with extra wing and ear tips for so you can find the ones that fit your ears most comfortably. 

Samsung also partnered with Spotify this year, so when listening to music or podcasts on the app, you can hit play by simply tapping once on an earbud.

Loyal iPhone users interested in the new earbuds will also be happy to know the Galaxy Buds+ app is now compatible with iOS. 

While the original Buds pair with iPhones, certain features are locked to Android devices. But with the Galaxy Buds+ app, you can now customize settings like controls, ambient mode, and notifications, and more. 

Even though the Galaxy Buds+ are cheaper than the AirPods Pro, which will set you back $249, they’re missing something that Apple’s AirPods Pro have: noise cancellation. 

However, the Buds+ do come with an ambient sound mode. It mixes whatever is playing through your earbuds with outside noise, which comes in handy when you’re bike riding or going for a run outside.

Samsung didn’t go as all out with the color scheme this year, though. Unlike last year’s Galaxy Buds, which come in colors such as yellow and Aura Glow Silver, the Buds+ are a little more subtle. You’ll have a choice between Cosmic Black, Cosmic Blue, white, and red. 

The Galaxy Buds+ will be available for pre-order starting Feb. 14 and in stores on March 6.