Back in 2016,
a few months before Apple rolled out the AirPods, Samsung announced their first
true wireless earphones, the Gear Icon X. While there is no question that the AirPods became the more successful product,
Samsung has refined its original Gear
Icon X to its third iteration, the newly
announced Galaxy Buds. Let’s see if after three years they have what it takes
to compete.
The Good:
- Price (Free
if you pre-ordered a Galaxy S10 or US$129
/ Php 6,990)
- USB C plus
Wireless Charging
- Gear Wear
App
- Ambient
Sound
The Bad:
- The case only
provides seven additional hours of charge
- App only
works with Android
- Not very
good for making phone calls
Design and
Features:
Continuing
the design characteristics of the original Gear Icon X, Samsung decided to keep
its original profile but shrink it significantly to make the case more
pocketable. Compared to the AirPods, they are still small enough to fit in your front pockets easily. I think
this time, Samsung listened to its customers and made more practical
improvements like removing the fitness tracking features and onboard music
memory storage. Besides, most users will probably use a fitness band or smartwatch if they wanted to track steps and heart rate. Also, the majority of users will listen to music using their phone with their
preferred music streaming service.
In the box, you will find a USB C cable, manuals and two extra sets of fins and ear tips. It uses
Bluetooth 5.0, and together with the Wear
App, you can customize your equalizer
settings, touch controls, ambient sound, battery level and manage your Find Your
Galaxy Buds feature if they get lost. While the Buds will work with Windows,
Mac or iOS, they will work better with Android since you’ll have the benefit of
using the app.
Verdict:
There’s a
lot to like about the new Galaxy Buds. It’s very easy to pair, and they automatically connect to your device
even before you put them in your ear. It’s that fast! The touch controls are great but sometimes you
can unintentionally activate them. It’s a good thing you can disable them in
the app. The ambient sound is also quite useful if you want to hear your
surroundings.
Samsung
claims a battery life of 6 hours, plus an additional 7 hours in the case. Kudos
to Samsung for including wireless charging. The most I have used it was three
hours straight, and I still had about 40
percent left. They feel light and hardly any ear fatigue with prolonged use.
As for the
sound, I originally had some mixed feelings about it. Reviews out there are a
mixed bag. Some reviews claim that the sound is very good, while others would
say the opposite. I was puzzled why this could be.
When I first used it, I found the sound
to be tinny and soft. But after finding the right ear tip plus fin and playing
with equalizer settings, I was able to
make it sound very good. The buds have a more neutral
sound profile, but there was enough base for my liking. I have to be
honest, this is not the earphones for bass heads. In other words, it is crucial
to get a good seal if you want these earphones to sound good. I believe this is
why there was such a contrast in the mixed reviews.
Finally, I
have a wish list for Samsung in their next version. One, a longer charge for
the case would be nice; two, improve on the voice calls; and third, for their
App to work on iOS. I’ve been using Apple’s AirPods with my Android phone since
it came out because, to be honest, they
were the best, easy to pair and they work instantly. My only real problem with
them was (aside from the price) that they would fall off with the slightest
touch from my shirt or jacket collar. I have to say that Samsung finally made its
equivalent or dare I say, even better product. For Android users, these Galaxy Buds are a no-brainer. Get
them!
