Samsung is no longer the only maker of notable TVs or smartphones as the company has been aggressively updating its TWS earbuds portfolio over the past few years. Earlier this year, we saw the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro in India, which features “Intelligent Active Noise Cancellation” for seamless switching between ANC and Ambient Sound modes. About two months ago, we saw the introduction of another TWS earbuds from the company. , namely the Galaxy Buds 2 which comes with standard ANC and dual dynamic drivers. Priced at Rs 11,999, the Galaxy Buds 2 competes against popular products like the OnePlus Buds Pro, Nothing Ear (1), Jabra 75T and Sony WF-XB700 earbuds. If you’re planning on buying Samsung’s latest true wireless earbuds, here’s our breakdown.
Design: One of the many positives about Samsung, at this point in time, is the company isn’t shying away from trying out new designs, be it smartphones or TWS earbuds. The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 makes that commitment again, albeit with no significant changes to some. For example, Apple, despite producing premium devices, is revamping and reviving its old designs.
If we look at Samsung’s existing TWS earbuds portfolio in India, the charging case for the new Galaxy Buds 2 looks similar to what we got with the Galaxy Buds Live and Galaxy Buds Pro. However, the square-shaped case now adopts a dual-tone finish, where the outer shell has a standard white finish, while the inner body matches the color of the earbuds. There’s also an LED light to indicate charging (green for full). The earbuds, on the other hand, now have a glossy smooth finish that fits snugly in your ear.
That being said, customers can choose from Graphite, Olive, Lavender and White color options. For our review, we received the Graphite color option and the packaging includes two pairs of ear tips – small and large. The earbuds ship with medium silicone ear tips out of the box. Customers will get a USB-C charging cable but no adapter which has been a standard in many TWS and wireless earphones for some time.
Both the Galaxy Buds 2 and the charging case come with a glossy finish that gives a premium look. Each earbud weighs around 5 grams, and the case is also lightweight at 41.2 grams, which easily fits in your pocket. The charging case is prone to scratches as it has a polycarbonate build, and unfortunately, its third-party protective covers are equally expensive (around Rs 1,000). Overall, the design and construction of the Buds won’t let you down; However, the charging case should take extra care.
Fit and Performance: Before we get to the sound, fitting is one of the key areas that interests many buyers. And when an audio product, in this case, the Galaxy Buds 2 costs more than Rs 10,000, these concerns are justified.
During our testing, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 ensured a good fit, even when running. We didn’t sleep with the earbuds in, but they fit snugly into your ears if you’re lying side-by-side in bed. However, when it comes to wireless audio products, many people prefer over-ear headphones over in-ear canal earphones. Since I have naturally small ears and generally prefer over-ear headphones, the Galaxy Buds 2 weren’t wearable for more than an hour. In my case, they can be especially painful around the eardrum – the outer hollow area next to the ear canal.
But, to be on the safe side, I asked someone with naturally big ears to test-drive the Galaxy Buds 2, and it didn’t cause any fatigue after an hour of use. That’s why buyers with small ears like me should pay attention.
In terms of performance, users can connect and manage the earbuds with the Samsung Galaxy Wearable app available on Android, Windows (via Microsoft Store) and Apple. As expected, they work best with Samsung devices when it comes to quick-pair. We tested these buds with the new Galaxy M52 5G, and users can also add wearable app widgets to the home screen for quick controls. We also tested them with an iPhone 12, but sadly, you can’t change the earbuds’ settings and manage equalizing mode because the app for iOS doesn’t support the Galaxy Buds 2. The Samsung Galaxy Wearable app Windows also offers the same options as the Android counterpart. , so using the earbuds with a Windows PC shouldn’t be a problem.
Samsung Galaxy Wearable App: With the Samsung Galaxy Wearable app, Galaxy Buds 2 users will get to see the battery status and can manually switch between ANC, Regular and Ambient sound modes. These can be directly managed through the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 once the user changes the settings to their liking. That being said, the touch controls on the Buds often feel pretty responsive despite working seamlessly. If you have a habit of adjusting the earbuds from time to time, it can be annoying as the gesture plays/pauses the music.
The Galaxy Wearable app also has a ‘Find my earbuds’ feature that connects to the earbuds via an IR sensor. This means that when the earbuds are close to the smartphone, users will hear a beeping sound, which is essentially what is used to locate them. However, the beep can be very little out of the bud and is not entirely reliable.
sound quality: We finally come to the soul of any earbuds, which is arguably the audio quality. The Galaxy Buds 2 ticks off in almost all areas when it comes to sound quality, especially in the Rs 10,000 range. Each earbud has a two-way driver design with a woofer and tweeter, usually capable of delivering loud, tight bass without consuming a lot of power. The Galaxy Buds 2, in fact, delivers punchy bass with equally clear audio which will be a huge relief to the buyers of this device. The earbuds are tuned by AKG, a subsidiary of Harman International, and the branding is also visible on the inside of the charging case. In addition to the popular AAC and SBC support, the Galaxy Buds 2 also feature Samsung’s scalable codecs that offered decent performance during our testing.
Overall, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 delivers a decent audio output regardless of platform – Android, iOS or Windows. There are a total of six microphones (three on each earpiece), which enable active noise cancellation and voice communication. Voice calling quality is standard and should work in the most noisy environments. The earbuds don’t filter outside noise intelligently so don’t set high expectations. Additionally, the buds are IPX2 rated for water resistance which is again not the most impressive feature at this price point.
Battery: It takes around 2.5 hours for both the case and the earbuds to be fully charged. The Galaxy Buds 2 offered decent battery life with ANC and not exactly the figures Samsung is promising. We got about 4.5 hours of listening time, and the case allowed us to recharge the buds an extra three times. Additionally, the charging case supports Qi wireless charging which we could not test. But if your phone supports reverse charging, you can add juice to the case which houses a 472mAh battery.
Decision: So far, it’s clear from the headline and overall impressions that the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 stands out against the competitors at this price point. In terms of appearance and sound quality, the Buds will not disappoint which is what matters to many users, especially when they are spending around Rs 10,000. However, if you have small ears like mine, you may experience some amount of fatigue within an hour. If you are also a new subscriber to the premium Galaxy Buds, which feature touch controls and gestures, give it some time, as it will take time to adjust. That being said, the Galaxy Buds 2 won’t let you regret your buying decision.
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