For the second consecutive year, Samsung has introduced TWS earphones along with its foldable smartphones. The event on August 10 saw the arrival of the Galaxy Buds2 Pro, the successor to last year’s Galaxy Buds Pro.
We spent a lot of time testing them and here’s our review. The first thing you’ll notice is that Samsung has managed to lower the weight and removed the glossy finish, making the Buds2 Pro more comfortable and more attractive.
The earphone case is square and unlike previous versions, the color on the outside matches the color on the inside. There are three color options: Bora Purple, Black, and White, and we’ve got the third, which looks elegant if not particularly impressive.
Both the case and the buds feel lighter in the hand, the numbers don’t lie. The slots for the singles but are slightly rotated, but there are strong magnets that take care of aligning them. There are two pogo pins for each bud in its nest.
Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro
The battery capacity of each gem is 58mAh while the case is 500mAh. The total increase is minimal – less than 3%. However, thanks to the superior optimizations, the Galaxy Buds2 Pro can deliver a whopping 8 hours of listening experience on one charge.
Activating the ANC reduces it to five hours as per official numbers, but our tests have shown that in this case they can approach 6 hours. We also tested the earbuds with Ambient Sound turned on and it delivered a very good 5 hour result, but we can’t see anyone using this mode for extended periods – it’s just too overwhelming.
Battery life is definitely better, but what about charging time? The entire 616mAh package charges from 0 to 100% in 75 minutes with a proprietary USB-C cable. There is also wireless charging with any Qi-certified charger, but it takes more than two hours to recharge the battery – we made several attempts, but our best result was 125 minutes.
Samsung knows you can’t have great battery life and a huge woofer or tweeter, so they decided to go for the former. The music on the Buds2 Pro sounds flat without too much bass. On the upside, the music is clearer and the individual instruments are well defined, but the missing part of the range takes a little from the sonic experience.
Active noise cancellation has also improved and is the best Samsung has ever offered. There are still three modes: ANC, Off and Ambient Sound, but the 3-mic array does a better job of picking up external sounds and canceling them. And with call cancellation, talking to the Buds2 Pro sounds a lot better than the phone itself.
Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy Buds2
We also liked the voice detection feature which turns off ANC and turns on ambient sound if you start talking. A long press on any of the buds can also activate the ambient sound for the moment you press when there is an announcement you want to capture at the airport or train station.
The touch controls work perfectly. We know some users don’t use them, but those who do will be pleased with the simplicity. There are several options, including one tap for Play / Pause, two or three taps to control music and podcasts, and tap and hold for calls, and all are customizable.
The earbuds themselves have an equalizer, which can help you tune the audio experience, but can’t really do much to fix missing bass. The Galaxy Wearable app also offers controls for features like neck stretch reminders, reading notifications aloud, and ambient sound during calls to allow the speaker to hear itself.
The size of the Buds2 Pro is reduced by 15% compared to the Buds Pro. Each gem weighs only 5.5 grams and putting one in your ear is easy. The accompanying app also has an earphone fit test option that plays test tunes to determine if the fit is right. We also appreciate the IPX7 rating for diving up to 1 meter of fresh water, which gives us more peace of mind during sweaty workouts.
Samsung is offering the Galaxy Buds2 Pro for € 229 / £ 219 / $ 229 and offers some discounts and gifts, depending on the market. The price is slightly higher than the Galaxy Buds Pro and a lot more than the regular Galaxy Buds2.
But it brings you extremely comfortable TWS earbuds with long battery life and a stylish look. The extra money is definitely worth it for people, who appreciate it and would appreciate a well-performing ANC.
Start a new Thread