Effectively serving as a follow-up to Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus, Galaxy Buds 2 keeps its predecessor’s bean-like shape. Complete with a protrusion housing the speaker grille and wrapped in an earbud tip. But this year’s model doesn’t just repeat that design language either. It builds on it with a rounder, smoother aesthetic meant to be more comfortable than ever. That also includes the addition of an earbud fittest made available via the Galaxy Wearable app. This also means these earbuds likely will work best with Samsung’s other newly-announced products. As well as its previously released Galaxy-branded smartphones and tablets. Although that app is available via the Galaxy Store or Google Play Store. Samsung also includes support for the Galaxy Buds app on Windows via the Microsoft App Store. And, of course, Samsung includes three earbud tip sizes with its Galaxy Buds 2 to ensure that users get the best fit regardless of which smartphone or devices they pair with. Additionally, Galaxy Buds 2 are 15-percent smaller, and 20-percent lighter than Buds Plus, according to Samsung.
Where do Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 build on their predecessors?
Now, the most recently released Galaxy Buds from Samsung were actually the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro. Those were released only just recently, back in January. So the new Samsung Galaxy Buds 2, announced as part of this week’s Galaxy Unpacked event, aren’t necessarily a direct follow-up to those. But they are the most recent to bear the Galaxy branding beyond Galaxy Buds Plus. In terms of what that means for end-users, it means they’re getting the latest and greatest from Samsung’s audio division. With some small caveats thrown in that will help offset the price a bit. For starters, there’s the active noise cancellation, which Samsung says will block out external background noise by up to 98-percent. Now, Samsung hasn’t qualified that statement with any objective measures. But the new enhancement is, in part, down to AI. Machine learning is utilized to determine which frequencies to block out and which to let through. And that, in its own right, is driven by 3-mics on each bud and a VPU — or voice pickup unit. The sound is also driven by dual-driver two-way audio. That’s comprised of one 11mm woofer and a 6.3mm tweeter for richer, more dynamic sound than most competitors are likely to offer with a single driver. Allowing for, according to Samsung, a more immersive audio experience. Meanwhile, Ambient Sound is part of this package too. That allows users to hear audio passing through the buds more clearly, effectively offering better situational and environmental awareness. With control for that placed right at the users’ fingertips. The biggest caveat to all of that technology will likely be the battery but that’s not necessarily a big caveat since that’s going to be as good as ever. Samsung says that these buds last up to 5-hours on a single charge with ANC turned on. And that will be extended for users who don’t keep that feature turned on. Up to 20 hours can be had from the charging case. The charging case for Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 also features both USB-C wired and Qi-standard wireless fast charging. So users won’t have to wait too long to recharge in-between uses.
Specs
If you want a rundown of pure specifications for Samsung Galaxy Buds 2, those can be found here. As provided by Samsung.
Pricing and availability
In terms of pricing and availability, Samsung is selling its Galaxy Buds 2 in white coloration. At least for the carry and charge case. That features color accents with graphite, white, olive, and lavender colorways available. And Samsung priced the bundle to move at just $149, matching the MSRP of Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus. Sales for the new wearable will start on August 27.
