Editor's take: Samsung's latest true wireless earbuds came into focus on Thursday as a potentially compelling alternative to Apple's AirPods Pro in the premium consumer space. They're also a bit more affordable, too, at under $200 compared to $249 for Cupertino's buds.
Samsung's new Galaxy Buds Pro pack 11mm woofers for bass and 6.5mm tweeters to tackle treble, but they are more than just entertainment accessories. Thanks to an array of three microphones, a voice pickup unit (VPU) and a wind shield along with an intelligent active noise cancelling (ANC) system, the Galaxy Buds Pro are game for productivity tasks as well.
Each earbud houses a 61mAh battery while the charging case has a larger 472mAh unit. Samsung said users can expect around five hours of playback time with ANC on or up to eight hours with it off. Factoring in the extra juice the charging case can supply, these numbers climb to 18 hours and 28 hours with ANC on / off, respectively.
In terms of talk time, you're looking at around four hours with ANC on and five hours with it off, or 14.5 hours with ANC on and 17.5 hours with it off when using the charging case. A five-minute charge can result in up to one additional hour of play time.
While the buds do carry an IPX7 rating, meaning they can be submerged in up to one meter of fresh water for up to 30 minutes, the charging case is not water resistant. As such, Samsung said they are "not advised for beach or pool use."
TM Roh, the head of Samsung's mobile communications business, said that with the Galaxy Buds Pro, they're "making a big statement with a small device."
The Galaxy Buds Pro are offered in black, silver and purple and are available directly from Samsung priced at $199.99. Retails and carrier partners should have them in stock starting tomorrow, we're told.