Samsung already has a crowded lineup of true wireless earbuds—models like the Galaxy Buds, Galaxy Buds+, Galaxy Buds Live and Galaxy Buds Pro appeal to a variety of audio lovers, running the gamut from basic audio features in the Buds+ to the premium Buds Pro with active noise cancelling, water resistance and gaming features.
As a part of today’s Galaxy Unpacked event, Samsung is introducing yet another member of this Galaxy Buds line. The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 should be a welcome addition for anyone hoping that Samsung would introduce active noise cancellation at a more budget-friendly price point.
So how does it fit in? Well, based on Samsung’s overview of the new earbuds at Unpacked today, it looks like the Galaxy Buds 2 is most closely a big brother to the Galaxy Buds+. It’s an incremental improvement on that earbud while borrowing noise cancellation technology from Samsung’s top-end earbuds. In fact, Samsung has incorporated a handful of improvements while offering it at a very attractive price.
What We Know About the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2
Samsung has streamlined the look of the Galaxy Buds 2, smoothing out the design so they now look sort of like a pair of pearls. At the same time, Samsung says that the Buds 2 are now 15% smaller and 20% lighter than the older Buds+, which should add up to a very comfortable fit. That’s thanks in part to a selection of interchangeable tips which you can try in conjunction with an “earbud fit test” in the mobile app to dial in the perfect fit. In fact, at Unpacked, Samsung said that the Buds 2 can be worn all day long.
Under the hood, the Galaxy Buds 2 feature two-way speakers with separate woofers and tweeters. But the real news here is the inclusion of active noise cancellation, which Samsung says can eliminate 98% of ambient sound. It also features an Ambient Aware mode—you can choose from among three ambient sound levels so you can hear what’s going on around you if needed without removing your earbuds. For calls, the Buds 2 include three microphones and rely on machine learning to filter background noise out of your conversations.
The Galaxy Buds 2 come in four different colors—white, graphite, olive and lavender. The charging docks are all finished in white but feature the earbud color as an accent when you flip open the lid.
The Galaxy Buds 2 come in four colors schemes.
Samsung
There are a few things Samsung hasn’t said about the Buds 2. We don’t yet know the earbud’s battery life, for example, but based on the rest of the Buds family, it would be very surprising if it wasn’t at least 8 hours with a quick charge option—that’s what you currently get with the Buds Pro.
There’s also no mention of wireless charging, though, and we don’t expect to see that. One wild card is water resistance; Samsung hasn’t specified an IP rating, so it’s not obvious whether you can confidently jog with these in the rain.
How to Buy the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2
The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 will be available for preorder starting today and will officially go on sale on August 27. Either way, the earbuds sell for $150, the lowest price for noise cancelling earbuds in the Samsung lineup.
