Samsung’s Galaxy Buds have been one of the low-key success stories of the current Bluetooth earbud revolution. They don’t have the flash of an AirPod, but they get the mix of form and function just right. Fittingly, their successors just got a quick unveil alongside Samsung’s latest handsets.
As the name implies, Galaxy Buds+ aren’t a full-on replacement for the earbuds — they’re more like an enhancement. The fully wireless earbuds look a lot like the originals — which is totally fine. The biggest difference, however, is an important one. Whereas the original buds (the O.B.s) sported 13 hours of battery life, the new versions offer nearly a full straight day (11 hours in the buds, 11 in the case).
That should get you through even the longest flight.
The sound quality gets a solid boost, as well, moving from a single dynamic driver to a dual system, coupled with three mics to help cancel out noise during calls. There’s no active noise cancellation on board, however, which means the buds aren’t really positioned to compete with the likes of AirPods Pro or Sony’s latest fancy headphones. But, then, they’re also priced significantly less.
At $149, they’re $20 more than the standard Galaxy Buds. Probably a small price to pay, given the upgrades here. I wouldn’t be entirely surprised to see Samsung deliver something more competitive on the Pro side, when the Galaxy Note rolls out later this year, but that’s pure speculation.
Meantime, the Galaxy Buds+ look to be one of the best deals in the space.