Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro: Solid mid-tier choice with ecosystem caveats

Samsung's Galaxy Buds Pro arrived in early 2021 alongside the Galaxy S21 phones, and they represent a measured step forward for the company's wireless earbuds line. They don't dominate any single category—not noise cancellation, not battery life, not sound quality—but they manage something harder: a coherent balance across all of them. At Rs 16,000, they're positioned as Samsung's best earbuds to date, though that distinction comes with important caveats about who they're actually built for.

The "Pro" designation hinges almost entirely on active noise cancellation. Samsung claims the earbuds can block 99 percent of external noise at 118.43 Hz, which in practice translates to something more modest: they cut out a decent amount of ambient sound, but noticeably less than Apple's AirPods Pro. When you enable ANC through the Galaxy Buds app and play music, you can muffle the outside world to a reasonable degree. More useful is a feature called Voice Detect, which automatically lowers playback volume and switches to ambient mode the moment you start speaking, with adjustable duration settings. It's a thoughtful addition, though it requires turning off if you like to sing along with your music.

The ambient sound passthrough itself has improved markedly from earlier Galaxy Buds models. Where the Buds+ sounded tinny and robotic when letting outside noise through, the Pro version feels more natural and listenable. This matters when you need to hear an announcement, answer a question, or simply stay aware of your surroundings without removing the earbuds.

The physical design represents genuine progress. The charging case is compact and pocketable, resembling a small matte pebble that opens and closes with one hand. The earbuds themselves combine glossy and matte finishes, drawing design cues from both the in-ear Buds+ and the open-air Buds Live. They sit snugly without protruding excessively, and Samsung's engineering has reduced the clogged-up sensation that plagued earlier models. The fit is notably more comfortable than any previous Galaxy Buds—with one exception: anyone who sleeps in earbuds or lies on their side to read will find them genuinely uncomfortable.

Battery performance lands in the middle ground. With ANC enabled, you get five hours of playback from the buds themselves, plus thirteen more hours from the case, totaling eighteen hours. Disable ANC and that stretches to twenty-eight hours total. The earbuds support both wired fast charging via USB-C and wireless charging. In real-world testing over several days of four to five hours of listening with ANC on and regular calls, the buds retained 90 percent battery while the case held 22 percent—suggesting roughly four days of use before needing a charge.

The IPX7 waterproof rating is the highest Samsung has ever put on Galaxy Buds, theoretically allowing submersion up to one meter for thirty minutes. A shower test revealed the rating's limits: the earbuds survived fifteen minutes of running water, but the experience was poor. Water droplets constantly triggered the touch sensors, causing the music to pause, play, and skip tracks involuntarily. The earbuds kept disconnecting from the phone. Water seeped into the ear canal, loosening the fit until the buds fell out repeatedly. The left earbud began emitting a screeching buzz sound that only stopped after drying. They technically passed the test, but they're not shower earbuds in any practical sense.

The most significant weakness emerges in connectivity, particularly for non-Samsung users. The reviewer, using an iPhone 11 as their primary device, found that the Galaxy Buds app on iOS would not detect or sync with the Buds Pro, even after multiple uninstalls and reinstalls. Samsung support claimed no other reviewers faced this issue and sent a replacement pair, which also failed to sync. The conclusion: the Buds Pro appear incompatible with the Galaxy Buds iOS app and can only connect via standard Bluetooth. This matters because without the app, you lose access to ambient sound controls, voice detect, ANC adjustments, and over-the-air firmware updates. On a Samsung Galaxy S9, the same earbuds synced seamlessly using the Galaxy Wear app. Features like 3D audio and automatic device switching only function when paired with Samsung hardware.

For Samsung ecosystem users, the Galaxy Buds Pro represent a solid choice—comfortable, reasonably well-balanced, and feature-rich at their price point. They're not the best wireless earbuds available; the AirPods Pro, Bose Sports Earbuds, and Sony 1000XM4 all outperform them in various ways. But they won't disappoint someone already invested in Samsung devices. For iPhone users, the calculus shifts considerably. The ecosystem lock-in isn't theoretical—it's built into the product itself. You can use them via Bluetooth, but you'll be using them at half capacity, unable to access the features that justify the "Pro" name.