Samsung Galaxy Buds+ Review: Epitome Of Refinement

While the Samsung Galaxy Buds weren't the best truly wireless earbuds in the market when they launched, there was a lot to like about them. For a price of INR 9,999 ($129.99), they offered a comfortable fit, a compact case, support for wireless charging, a good battery backup, and likeable sound.

Fast forward a year, and we Samsung unveiled the Samsung Galaxy Buds+ alongside the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S20 series and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip. Instead of being drastically different from the original Buds, the Buds+ can be considered to be an iterative update; the nomenclature of '+' instead of '2' is for a reason. And yes, the rumour of the Samsung Galaxy Buds+ having active noise cancellation (ANC) - that would make it compete with the AirPods Pro and the Sony WF-1000XM3 - turned out to be false.

Despite that, the Galaxy Buds+ has a lot more to offer as Samsung promises better sound output, better-calling experience and a major leap in battery life.

So, are the Samsung Galaxy Buds+ worth its asking price of INR 11,999? Well, let's find out in our full review of it!

What's Smashable

Sturdier Build & Same Great Fit

Having used the original Samsung Galaxy Buds, the first thing I noticed with the Buds+ is that the entire package feels much sturdier. The buds don't rattle inside the case when shaken and the case itself snaps and opens with a more satisfactory snap. The case is still pill-shaped and is one of the most compact ones out there. You won't have any problem fitting it in your jeans' watch pocket.

LED indicators at the front of the case showcase the approx. charge left in the case. But instead of the matte-like finish on the Galaxy Buds, the Buds+ gets a glossy finish. While it certainly looks good on the earbuds, the glossy finish will certainly make scuffs and scratches more visible in the longer run.

The original Buds scored high in terms of fit and comfort and the Galaxy Buds+ are no different in this matter. They still have winged tips that help with a more secure fit. Unfortunately, the winged tips didn't sit well for me and caused discomfort when wearing for longer sessions. Fortunately, the fit without the winged tips is still as good although there is a slight compromise on the noise isolation front.

Thanks to an excellent fit, working out and running with the Buds+ is not a problem at all.

Packed with the Buds+ is an assortment of ear tips and wings (or rings if you don't prefer wings like me) that you can use according to your preferences. The earbuds themselves are quite light and can easily be worn for long periods of time without experiencing ear fatigue. I've worn them to sleep quite a few times and have woken up without any particular sore.

They're also pretty discrete in that they don't extend further than the helix of your ear. This also means you can wear them while changing clothes without worrying about them coming out in the process.

The earbuds still use the same touch-sensitive outer surface that lets you control just about anything. Apart from normal touch gestures (more on it in the companion app section below), there's another experimental control setting that lets you tap the top of the left and the right earbud to decrease or increase the volume respectively. It can be a bit tricky to activate in the start, but you can get used to it pretty quickly.

Great Sound

Instead of a single driver, the Galaxy Buds+ have two drivers now - a dedicated tweeter and woofer in each earbud. This definitely helps the Galaxy Buds+ take a considerable step ahead with respect to its predecessor that featured a single driver to handle all frequencies.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds+ doesn't particularly favour a block of frequency and are quite neutral-sounding right out of the box. This isn't particularly bad but if you're looking for pronounced bass, the competing Jabra 75t might be the one for you.

Coming back to the Buds+, the AKG-tuned speakers offer crisp and balanced sound. Listening to 'Slow Down Turbo' by Rich Brian, elements across the frequency sounded great and the bass and the deep vocals didn't impose on the rest of the elements. Imaging, although not as precise as what I've experienced on higher-end wireless earphones like the Sony WI-10000XM2, is definitely good.

The dual-driver setup of the Buds+ helps in ensuring that there is clear vocal reproduction while simultaneously pumping bass lines. Childish Gambino's vocals in Feel Like Summer sound crisp despite the gentle low rumble that was just as effective.

The companion application also comes with 6 EQ settings: normal, bass boost, soft, dynamic and treble boost, that will let you customize the sound to your liking.

The Galaxy Buds+ are also pretty suitable to listen to podcasts and voices came across with impressive clarity.

Lastly, the passive noise isolation on the Galaxy Buds+ is rather good. Being passive, it's obviously not as good as that of the Apple AirPods Pro, but there's not a lot to complain here given the price of the Buds+. You'll be able to drown out the noise of a nearby chattering group to a point where it won't disturb you or distract you from work.

Call Quality & Ambient Mode

For me, the improvement in call quality was one of the most redeeming factors of the Buds+. For a better experience, Samsung has bundled a second mic to the Buds+ which goes miles in improving the poor call quality of the original Buds.

While indoors, I didn't receive any complaints and my voice came out rather clear to the recipient with background noise or a gust of wind not being as dominating as I expected it to be. Even outdoors, the sound quality is rather acceptable. Although, don't expect a lot if you often find yourself in noisy neighbourhoods. But by virtue of design, they aren't good as the AirPods or the AirPods Pro.

The ambient mode on the Galaxy Buds+ is also much better than before as it doesn't make sound human conversations as robotic as the Buds did. If you're not aware of what ambient mode is, it's a mode that lets you hear surrounding noises more clearly even while you're listening to music. It comes particularly handy when you jog through a city or when you want to have a quick conversation with someone. The companion application lets you configure the level of noise you'd like to seep through the earbuds but the default setting worked just fine for me.

Impressive Battery Life

If there's one aspect where the Samsung Galaxy Buds+ just knocks it out of the park it's the battery life. Samsung's claims of the buds itself lasting for 11 hours on a single charge are not hollow. The Galaxy Buds+ can easily last about 9.5-10 hours at a stretch when listening at about 60-70% volume and can go further if you lower the volume.

If the Buds+ somehow die on you, a quick 3-minute nap in the case should juice it up enough to push music for about an hour.

This insane battery backup puts them right at the top as far as battery life with respect to truly wireless earbuds are concerned. For context, the Apple AirPods and the Jabra Elite 75t last about 5 and 6 hours respectively.

But since the case can charge the earbuds only once, the total battery life of 22 hours is not the best out there. Nonetheless, the Galaxy Buds+ lasted me an average of 4 days with about 5-6 hours of listening every day.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds+ have support for wireless charging. If the case and the earbuds both die, they can be charged back to life with the help of a USB Type-C port in about 2-2.5 hours. The drain was also uniform across both buds for me.

Lastly, there's support for Qi wireless charging which makes it easier to charge it if you have one of the few phones that have support for reverse wireless charging.

Intuitive Companion Application

What's good about the Galaxy Buds+ is that it offers a similar experience across all smartphones. Obviously, it works best with high-end Samsung phones that allow for seamless connectivity. But the companion Galaxy Wearable application is available for both Android & iOS which makes it a good choice even for iPhone users who aren't a fan of the stem design of the AirPods.

Unlike the Galaxy Buds, the Buds+ now finally show the charge left on the case as well.

The companion application allows you to configure what taps on the buds do. You can have the 'touch and hold' action to activate two different actions for each earbud. You can choose it to activate the voice assistant, ambient sound, and even open Spotify. Yes, the Buds+ feature Spotify integration that randomly starts a playlist with a long press. Unfortunately, it's not possible to configure what you'd like to hear.

The application also lets you find your earbuds, i.e. make them ring really loud if you lose either or both buds. You can also configure the earbuds to make them read notifications via the application.

Another neat feature of the Galaxy Wearable is the support for widgets that allow you to quickly lock the touchpad or switch on ambient mode without having to dive into the application and tinker with settings.

Lastly, the application is also a way for Samsung to push out firmware updates and possibly improve connectivity, improve sound output or fix snags in the future.

What's Not Smashable

Codec Support

The Samsung Galaxy Buds+ have support for SBC, AAC, and Scalable Bluetooth codec. Unfortunately, Samsung's proprietary Scalable codec that can transmit music at higher bitrates, is only supported by a handful of premium Samsung phones. Since there is no support for LDAC or aptX, the Galaxy Buds+ sounds best with Samsung phones.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds+ sound best with a Samsung phone. This was also the case with the Samsung Galaxy Buds and the support for aptX would've made for a richer listening experience across a wider range of smartphones. Nonetheless, the Buds+ still sound pretty good over AAC.

Not Suitable For Gaming

With gaming on the rise, we've seen some manufacturers offer lower latency modes on truly wireless earbuds. While the Buds+ did have an experimental gaming mode to reduce lag, that feature is no longer to be found after the latest firmware update. I've reached out to Samsung to get a comment on this but I'm yet to hear back on this.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds+ aren't much helpful while playing games like PUBG. Hence, if you're looking to play fast-paced games like PUBG, the Galaxy Buds+ won't be suitable for the cause.

Water Resistance

The Samsung Galaxy Buds+ feature an IPX2 rating which don't quite make them suitable if you're a heavy sweater. Just a few drops of water or sweat, from the wrong angle, could lead to hardware issues on the Galaxy Buds+. Considering that competing offerings have moved on to better water resistance ratings, it would've been good to see Samsung give at least an IPX4 rating with the Galaxy Buds+.

Final Verdict

With the Galaxy Buds+, Samsung has finessed the original Galaxy Buds to a level that makes it one of the best offerings out there. The Buds+ sound excellent with a Samsung phone but they still maintain their competence with non-Samsung devices.

In terms of battery endurance, there's not a single pair of earbuds I'm aware of, that can have the Galaxy Buds+ beat. With the stamina of about 9-10 hours on a single charge, the earbuds can almost last a workday without needing to head back to the case for a rejuvenating charge. Samsung has also finally fixed the voice call quality, which for me, is one of the biggest improvements with the Galaxy Buds+.

Making the entire package more attractive is the light and compact case, support for wireless charging, usable ambient mode, and an expansive range of touchpad controls.

So, should you buy the Samsung Galaxy Buds+? The Samsung Galaxy Buds+ aren't perfect and they could've done better in terms of water resistance, codec support, and latency. But for the price of INR 11,999, you'll be hard-pressed to find a package as well-rounded as the Samsung Galaxy Buds+.

If you were quite disappointed with the Buds+ not supporting Active Noise Cancellation, you might want to wait until Samsung announces their next-gen bean-shaped earbuds that are rumoured to have support for it.

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