Earbuds · Model guide · Maker specs
Samsung Galaxy Buds FE
Get Galaxy Buds FE for noise cancelling and a wingtip fit at a $99.99 launch price, ideally paired with a Galaxy phone.
Product images
Samsung Galaxy Buds FE, from its Amazon listing.
Credit: Amazon.com (Associates Program). Amazon listing
Product image from the Amazon listing.
In short
Get Galaxy Buds FE for noise cancelling and a wingtip fit at a $99.99 launch price, ideally paired with a Galaxy phone. With noise cancelling off they're rated for 8.5 hours a charge, or 30 with the case; switch it on and a charge lasts 6. A Galaxy phone adds Auto Switch and SmartThings Find. Skip them for sweaty workouts (they're only IPX2) or an iPhone, since Samsung lists Android only.
Who it is for
- Galaxy phone owners who want noise cancelling for under $100. FE launched at $99.99, and its extras are built around Samsung's own phones, tablets and watches.
- People whose earbuds work loose. FE comes with two sizes of wingtip as well as three sizes of ear tip, so each bud braces against your ear instead of relying on the tip alone.
- Listeners who mostly leave noise cancelling off, at home or in a quiet office. That's when FE lasts longest: 8.5 hours per charge.
Who should skip it
- iPhone owners. Samsung lists only Android phones running version 8.0 or later with more than 1.5 GB of RAM.
- Heavy sweaters and rain runners. IPX2 covers light splashes, Samsung says not to submerge FE, and its bean-shaped Pro models are rated IPX7.
- Anyone set on Samsung's newer stem-style design. That's Galaxy Buds3 Pro, not this bean-shaped budget pair.
What sets it apart
- Two wingtip sizes and three ear-tip sizes in the box; Galaxy Buds2 has no wingtips.
- Up to 8.5 hours per charge with noise cancelling off and 30 with the case, which Samsung called the longest in the Buds series when FE launched.
- Noise cancelling and Ambient Sound for a $99.99 launch price, with a long press on either bud to flip between them.
- Bluetooth 5.2, plus Samsung's Auto Switch and SmartThings Find when you pair FE with Galaxy devices.
Caveats
- Noise cancelling costs battery: with it on, Samsung rates FE for 6 hours per charge, or 21 with the case.
- Each bud has a single 1-way speaker, where the older Galaxy Buds2 uses two-way speakers.
- Only the buds carry a rating (IPX2), and Samsung says to dry them if they get wet.
- On Android phones from other brands, Samsung warns that some features won't work.
Key specs
In the same order on every earbuds page, so you can compare pairs.
| Spec | Value | Source and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | Sealed in-ear bean with wingtips | Samsung US launch announcement |
| Fit and tips | Three ear-tip sizes and two wingtip sizes | Samsung US launch announcement |
| Drivers | 1-way speaker (Samsung Canada: custom 1-way); size not published | Samsung US launch announcement; Samsung Canada SM-R400 specs |
| Noise cancelling | Active noise cancelling; long-press a bud to switch between ANC and Ambient Sound | Samsung US launch announcementSamsung gives no decibel figure for it. |
| Ambient sound | Ambient Sound | Samsung US launch announcement |
| Spatial / 360 audio | No 360 Audio listed | Samsung US launch announcement |
| Hearing features | None listed (no hearing aid or hearing test) | Samsung US launch announcement |
| Battery, buds | Music: up to 6 hours with ANC on, 8.5 with it off. Calls: up to 3.5 and 4 hours. 60 mAh typical (58 mAh rated) | Samsung US launch announcement |
| Battery, with case | Music: up to 21 hours with ANC on, 30 with it off. Calls: up to 13 and 14 hours. Case 479 mAh typical (500 mAh rated) | Samsung US launch announcement |
| Charging | No charging or quick-charge figures in the US table; Samsung Canada describes wired charging and wireless charging from a Galaxy phone | Samsung US launch announcement; Samsung Canada SM-R400 specs |
| Wireless charging | Not in the US table; Samsung Canada says the case charges wirelessly from a Galaxy phone or a charging pad | Samsung Canada SM-R400 product page |
| Water and dust, buds | IPX2 splash resistance; Samsung Canada says not to submerge them and to dry them after they get wet | Samsung US launch announcement; Samsung Canada SM-R400 specs |
| Water and dust, case | No rating; treat the case as not water-resistant | Samsung US launch announcement |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.2 with Auto Switch; profiles A2DP, AVRCP, HFP (Samsung Canada) | Samsung US launch announcement; Samsung Canada SM-R400 specs |
| Codecs | Samsung Scalable Codec, AAC and SBC on Samsung Canada's SM-R400 page; the US table prints “AAA” where Canada has AAC | Samsung US launch announcement; Samsung Canada SM-R400 specs |
| Microphones and calls | 3 mics (2 outer, 1 inner) with a DNN voice solution in the US table; Samsung Canada lists 6 | Samsung US launch announcement; Samsung Canada SM-R400 specs |
| Controls | Touch controls; long-press for ANC or Ambient Sound | Samsung US launch announcement |
| Device switching | Auto Switch between Galaxy phones and tablets on One UI 3.1 or later, Galaxy Watch4 or later and 2022 or later Samsung TVs, all on one Samsung account (footnote 18); no general Bluetooth multipoint listed | Samsung US launch announcement |
| Sensors | Proximity, Hall, touch | Samsung US launch announcement |
| Weight, one bud | 5.6 g (Samsung Singapore and Canada); 0.18 oz (Samsung US) | Samsung US and Singapore announcements; Samsung Canada SM-R400 specsSamsung's US and metric figures don't match exactly. |
| Weight, case | 40.0 g (Samsung Singapore); 40 g (Samsung Canada); 1.4 oz (Samsung US) | Samsung US and Singapore announcements; Samsung Canada SM-R400 specs |
| Size, one bud | 17.1 × 19.2 × 22.2 mm (Samsung Singapore; Canada gives 19.2 × 17.1 × 22.2 mm as height × width × depth); 0.68 × 0.76 × 0.87 in (Samsung US) | Samsung US and Singapore announcements; Samsung Canada SM-R400 specs |
| Size, case | 50.0 × 27.7 × 50.0 mm (Samsung Singapore; Canada: 50.0 × 50.0 × 27.7 mm); 1.96 × 1.09 × 1.96 in (Samsung US) | Samsung US and Singapore announcements; Samsung Canada SM-R400 specs |
| Colors | Graphite, White | Samsung US launch announcement |
| Phone compatibility | Android 8.0 or later with more than 1.5 GB of RAM; some features don't work on non-Samsung devices | Samsung US launch announcement |
| Find and tracking | SmartThings Find (footnotes 19–20); no Find My or UWB | Samsung US launch announcement |
| App and updates | Galaxy Wearable, which also installs firmware updates | Samsung US launch announcement; Samsung Canada SM-R400 specs |
| US price at launch | $99.99; on sale from 10 October at Samsung.com and other retailers | Samsung US launch announcement |
| Price band | Budget (under $100 US at launch) | Based on the $99.99 launch price |
| Announced | 3 October 2023, alongside the Galaxy S23 FE and Tab S9 FE; on sale from 10 October | Samsung US launch announcement |
| Availability | Varies by retailer | Samsung Galaxy Buds lineup |
Samsung Galaxy Buds FE extras
Specs only this model has.
| Spec | Value | Source and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Wingtips | Two wingtip sizes, plus three ear-tip sizes | Samsung US launch announcement |
| Recycled plastics | Post-consumer recycled plastics, including from fishing nets and water barrels, in parts of the case and buds (footnote 23) | Samsung US launch announcement |
| Model number | SM-R400 | Samsung Canada SM-R400 specs |
| Battery capacity | 60 mAh per bud and 479 mAh case, typical (58 and 500 mAh rated) | Samsung US launch announcement |
The fit and the noise cancelling
FE is a bean-shaped earbud that seals in your ear canal, with a small wingtip that tucks into the ear to hold it steady. Samsung puts three sizes of ear tip and two of wingtip in the box, and each bud weighs 5.6 grams.
You get active noise cancelling and Ambient Sound, and a long press on either bud switches between them. Samsung gives no figure for how much noise it blocks.
Battery: best with noise cancelling off
| Mode | Buds | With case |
|---|---|---|
| Music, noise cancelling on | Up to 6 hours | Up to 21 hours |
| Music, noise cancelling off | Up to 8.5 hours | Up to 30 hours |
| Calls, noise cancelling on | Up to 3.5 hours | Up to 13 hours |
| Calls, noise cancelling off | Up to 4 hours | Up to 14 hours |
Switching noise cancelling on costs two and a half hours per charge and nine hours across the case, working from Samsung’s own ratings. Each bud holds a 60 mAh battery and the case 479 mAh, by Samsung’s typical figures.
Samsung’s US launch table gives no charging details or quick-charge time. Samsung Canada describes wired charging and wireless charging, including from a Galaxy phone.
What a Galaxy phone adds
Most of FE’s extras need Samsung hardware. Auto Switch moves the buds between Galaxy phones and tablets on One UI 3.1 or later, a Galaxy Watch4 or later and 2022 or later Samsung TVs, as long as they’re signed in to the same Samsung account. SmartThings Find can locate a lost bud, and the Galaxy Wearable app handles settings and firmware.
Calls, controls and connection
Samsung’s US table lists three mics, two outer and one inner, with a DNN voice solution for calls; Samsung Canada lists six. Controls are touch-based, and proximity and Hall sensors are built in.
FE connects over Bluetooth 5.2. The codecs are Samsung’s own Scalable codec, AAC and SBC, according to Samsung Canada; the US table prints “AAA” in AAC’s place.
Price and colors
Samsung announced Buds FE on 3 October 2023, alongside the Galaxy S23 FE and Tab S9 FE, at $99.99 in Graphite or White. It went on sale on 10 October at Samsung.com and other US retailers. Samsung says parts of the case and buds use post-consumer recycled plastics, including from fishing nets and water barrels.
FE is a 2023 model, so check what it sells for now against Samsung’s newer pairs before you buy.
Sources
- Amazon product listing — accessed 2026-09-20
- Samsung US Newsroom — Galaxy S23 FE, Tab S9 FE and Buds FE launch — accessed 2026-09-19
- Samsung Newsroom Singapore — Galaxy Buds FE launch, metric specs — accessed 2026-09-19
- Samsung Canada — Galaxy Buds FE SM-R400 specifications — accessed 2026-09-19
Frequently asked questions
Do Galaxy Buds FE work with an iPhone?
Not officially. Samsung's compatibility list covers Android 8.0 or later with more than 1.5 GB of RAM and leaves iPhone out, and some features need a Samsung device even on Android.
Are Galaxy Buds FE waterproof?
No. They're rated IPX2 for light splashes, Samsung says not to submerge them, and the case has no rating at all.
Should I get Galaxy Buds FE or Galaxy Buds2?
Buds FE if you want wingtips and the longer battery with noise cancelling off; Buds2 if you'd rather have two-way speakers. Buds2 came out in 2021, FE in 2023.
Can I charge the Galaxy Buds FE case on my Galaxy phone?
Yes, according to Samsung Canada, which says the case charges wirelessly from a Galaxy phone or a charging pad. Samsung's US launch table doesn't list wireless charging.
Official product page: Samsung Galaxy Buds FE. Tech specs: Samsung Galaxy Buds FE specs.