Android smartphone users will need the Galaxy Wearable app and a device using Android 5.0 or higher.ĭownloading the relevant app helps you get paired quickly.
If you’re an iPhone user (iPhone 7 or newer, using iOS10 or higher), just download the Samsung Galaxy Buds+ app. This has been rectified with the Galaxy Buds+. The original Galaxy Buds couldn’t connect to iOS devices, which meant Samsung couldn’t persuade Apple iPhone users to dump their AirPods. By comparison, the Sony WF-1000XM3s have a claimed six hours, plus 18 from the charging case, while the Cambridge Melomania 1s have nine hours, plus 36 from the case. Instead of the case adding two or three extra charges, Samsung has opted to provide just one extra charge, bringing total battery life to 22 hours. That could come in handy if you own a smartphone that is compatible with wireless PowerShare, such as the new Samsung Galaxy S20 or Galaxy S20 Ultra. If your battery is running low, a three-minute charging stint should be enough to inject 60 minutes of juice. The Samsung Galaxy Buds+ claim an impressive 11 hours of playtime per charge, though there is no noise-cancelling here to drain to the battery.
It’s smaller and more pocket-friendly than that of the Sony WF-1000XM3 and Amazon Echo Buds, but not quite as small as the Apple AirPods one.
The headphones come with their own portable charging case which is as tiny as the earbuds allow. We find them perfectly clear when making conversation, although they aren’t immune to wind noise, which can affect some wireless earbuds. The new configuration is designed to reduce the noise around you while making calls. The Samsung Galaxy Buds+ headphones feature a new three-mic configuration for taking phone calls – one inner mic and two outer, beam-forming mics. It takes a subtle adjustment of where to aim your finger but it’s intuitive and you soon get the hang of it. You can even double-tap the edge of the right earpiece to increase volume and the left earpiece to reduce it. Tapping and holding your finger on one of the pads activates your voice assistant of choice, Siri or Google Assistant. It is implemented well here, with a single tap on either bud to play/pause with double and triple taps skipping forwards and backwards respectively. The surface of each earpiece is a touch-sensitive control pad, with a similar control method to that used in rivals such as the Amazon Echo Buds and the Sony WF-1000XM3s. Once in place, the Galaxy Buds Plus do a good job.