Apple’s AirPods 2 have been leading the wireless earbuds industry for a while now, but there is some heat coming from competitors like Microsoft, Jabra and Samsung. Samsung recently unveiled their Galaxy Buds+, which looks to be a direct competitor to the already amazing Apple AirPods 2. Should you pick up a pair of Apple’s latest offering or should you jump ship to Samsung’s Galaxy Buds+?
AirPods 2 with Wireless Charging ($40 Upgrade) (Credit: Apple)
Design/Fit
The fit of the Apple AirPods has drawn quite a few people away from Apple’s wireless earbuds. There are many people who can not fit the Apple AirPods in their ears because there weren’t custom ear tips which went in your ear. The Apple AirPods would fall out of people with larger ears. The AirPods Pro fixed this issue with having custom ear tips, but they’re much more expensive. The design of AirPods are controversial, at the beginning, it was made fun by a lot of people, but it’s now everywhere.
The Galaxy Buds+ have a good fit for 99% of people since they come with custom ear tips. If AirPods don’t fit your ear shape or size, you’ll have to go with other companies like Samsung, or spend extra money for the AirPods Pro. The design of the Galaxy Buds+ is alright, but not anything striking like Microsoft’s wireless earbuds. It sits nicely in your ears, and it gets the job done without much distraction from how you look.
Galaxy Buds+, powered by AKG (Credit: Samsung)
Sound Quality
The sound quality on AirPods is alright. It’s definitely a step-up from the normal EarPods that you would get from your iPhone, but it’s nothing great. Both of these earbuds aren’t meant for audiophiles, or anybody who expects the best in sound quality. If you want premium sound features and convenience features like noise cancellation, deeper bases, louder volumes, etc, wireless headphones like the Surface Headphones 2 are the way for you.
However, between the two set of earbuds, I would pick the Galaxy Buds+ as the better performer, sound-wise. The Apple AirPods lack in one major area, and that’s in bass. The Galaxy Buds+ have a much deeper bass than the AirPods 2 do, and I’d like to see Apple improve the bass on the AirPods for the 3rd version.
White Galaxy Buds+ in the case (Credit: Samsung)
AirPods 2 Features
The main selling point of Apple’s earbuds is how they connect and seamlessly interact with your iPhone. To connect your AirPods to your iPhone, simple open the lid and press connect when it pops up on your iPhone, and you’re good! You can use your AirPods whenever you want now and they’ll come up when you open up your iPhone again. It’s the small things that Apple really improves on and makes better.
Another connectivity feature that the AirPods have is they will link to other devices which are in the same iCloud as the iPhone you connected them to in the beginning. If you have other products in the Apple ecosystem like a Mac, iPad, Apple Watch, this is a great feature so you don’t have to keep unpairing and pairing again with your other device.
Apple AirPods 2 in the case (Credit: Apple)
Galaxy Buds+ Features
There is wireless charging on the Galaxy Buds+, whereas on the AirPods 2, you have to spend an extra $40 to get the wireless charging model. On my desk, I have an all wireless charging pad that I use to put my AirPods Pro on, and then they get charged. If you rely on wireless charging for your AirPods like I do, you’ll get it in the box with the normal Galaxy Buds+, instead of needing to spend an outrageous $40 to get it on the AirPods.
Another minor “feature” that Samsung has is color options. We’ve been asking Apple for a couple of years now to at least add a black version to AirPods, instead of the glossy white, which picks up scratches so easily. The Galaxy Buds+ come with a couple of different colors, which is cool to differentiate yourself from other people wearing the same thing, and it gives a sense of style for you as well.
Galaxy Buds+ paired with the Galaxy S20 Series (Credit: Samsung)
Verdict
The decision to buy one or the other pair of earbuds comes down to what you use as a smartphone. If you have an iPhone, the undoubted winner is the AirPods. Nothing really beats Apple working with Apple, since they love tying their products together. The AirPods have many convenience features which are great to use if you have an iPhone.
The actual feature set on both of these earbuds isn’t really much different the other. Yes, there is slightly better sound quality, a better fit, and wireless charging on the Buds+, but AirPods have seamless integration, Hey Siri support, and more. If AirPods do not fit you, or you need wireless charging, the Buds+ are definitely the way to go then. These two also cost almost the same price, at $150 for the Buds+, and $160 for the AirPods.
I think that the Galaxy Buds+ are a great competitor to the AirPods, but it’s not really a huge competition. Apple already has the whole iPhone world of users sunk into AirPods, but the Android market really needs a product close to AirPods so that they won’t be missing out on truly wireless earbuds. I think that the Galaxy Buds+ are a great fit for those people, as it has a reasonable price, $150, Android users should definitely take a look at this product.
If ear tips and wireless charging isn’t a problem, iPhone users should buy AirPods, and Android users should buy the Galaxy Buds+.
