Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro

Samsung launched Galaxy Buds3 Pro at Galaxy Unpacked in Paris on 10 July 2024, and it changed the shape of its Pro earbuds: a stem with Blade Lights replaced Buds2 Pro’s stemless bean. Inside, it’s Samsung’s first Galaxy Buds with a planar tweeter and dual amps.

What changed from Buds2 Pro

Spec	Buds3 Pro	Buds2 Pro
Design	Stem with Blade Lights	Stemless
Bud size	18.1 × 19.8 × 33.2 mm	21.6 × 19.9 × 18.7 mm
Bud weight	5.4 g with M tip	5.5 g
Speaker	10.5 mm dynamic + 6.1 mm planar tweeter, dual amps	Coaxial two-way
Water and dust	IP57	IPX7
Battery, ANC on	6 hours; 26 with case	5 hours; 18 with case

IP57 keeps Buds2 Pro’s water rating and adds one for dust. Noise cancelling, Ambient Sound, 360 Audio and the Wearable app were already on Buds2 Pro, so the reasons to upgrade are the speaker, the battery, Bluetooth 5.4, SSC UHQ and the new design.

Noise control that listens for you

Buds3 Pro pairs active noise cancelling with Adaptive Noise Control, and Samsung lists Adaptive EQ and Adaptive ANC among its Galaxy AI features. Voice Detect lowers your media and switches toward Ambient Sound when you start talking. It and Siren Detect work with Adaptive Noise Control, and on some One UI versions both start switched off.

Sound and codecs

The 10.5 mm driver and 6.1 mm planar tweeter are controlled independently. Codecs are SSC HiFi, SSC UHQ, AAC and SBC, so there’s no LDAC; UHQ reaches 24-bit, 96 kHz only on listed Galaxy devices running One UI 6.1.1 or later. Samsung Singapore adds LE Audio support on Bluetooth 5.4 and promotes Auracast. 360 Audio works too, and its Direct Multi-Channel mode needs a listed One UI version.

Battery and charging

Mode	Buds	With case
Music, ANC on	Up to 6 hours	Up to 26 hours
Music, ANC off	Up to 7 hours	Up to 30 hours
Talk, ANC on	Up to 4.5 hours	Up to 20 hours
Talk, ANC off	Up to 5 hours	Up to 22 hours

Those hours are from Samsung’s own tests, with 53 mAh buds (50 mAh rated) and a 515 mAh case (500 mAh rated). The case charges over USB-C or wirelessly, Galaxy phones with PowerShare can charge it, and Samsung gives no quick-charge time.

Controls and Blade Lights

Pinch to play or pause, pinch and hold to switch noise control or open a favorite app, and swipe for volume. Blade Lights run along the stems, with modes you pick in settings, and Samsung calls them unique to Buds3 Pro. Samsung also advertises Super Wideband call quality.

Galaxy features

Buds3 Pro supports Auto Switch, PC Auto Switch with Galaxy devices and Samsung Find, and its settings and firmware updates come through the Galaxy Wearable app. Pair it with a compatible Galaxy phone and Galaxy AI Interpreter works in listening and conversation modes: the phone translates and the buds play the result. On One UI 8.0 or later, Buds settings also show up in the phone’s quick settings.

If you’d rather skip the eartips, Galaxy Buds3 vs Buds3 Pro covers the open-type model.

Price

Buds3 Pro launched at $249.99 in the US, with pre-orders from 10 July 2024 and sales from 24 July 2024. It comes in Silver and White, and model numbers start with SM-R630; Samsung Singapore’s Silver model is SM-R630NZAAASA. In the UK, the box holds the buds, the case, a USB cable and a quick start guide. Samsung’s US product page now redirects to its audio range, so check retailers’ prices before you buy.