At the Unpacked event, Samsung also announced the Galaxy Z Fold 3, Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Galaxy Watch 4.
When is the Galaxy Buds 2 release date?
The Galaxy Buds 2 arrived in Europe and the US on 27 August, alongside the Z Fold 3 and Flip Z, as well as the Watch 4. You can now buy the Buds 2 via the Samsung store.
How much do the Galaxy Buds 2 cost?
Cheaper than many big-name pairs of buds, the Galaxy Buds 2 are priced at £139, US$149 or €149.
If you’re wondering whether Samsung is dropping any Buds from the range, the answer is yes. The Galaxy Buds and Galaxy Buds+ are now discontinued leaving the Buds 2, Buds Live and Buds Pro as a simplified range.
What are the Galaxy Buds 2 specs?
Although active noise cancelling was a little bit up in the air during the leadup to Unpacked, the Buds 2 do indeed offer ANC. Samsung says its system can cut out up to 98% of background noise.
Furthermore, they have Ambient sound mode with three levels of volume so you can choose how much of the sound around you that you want to hear based on the situation.
ANC is made possible partly by having three mics on each bud, with two on the outside. These are also used for calls and Samsung says its machine learning method can detect unwanted sounds like car horns, building sites or wind and remove them using a Voice Pickup Unit.
There are also touch controls, wear detection and the accompanying app can help you find the right fit with its Earbud fit test. The Galaxy Wearable app is also available on Windows PCs so you can control things easily from your desktop.
In terms of connectivity there’s Bluetooth 5.2 and the Buds 2 use Samsung’s propriety codec when connected to a Galaxy smartphone or tablet, for a “stronger signal strength and better audio quality.”
Sound is handled by a ‘dynamic two-way speaker’ meaning there is a dual-driver setup with a separate woofer and tweeter in each earbud for “clear, high notes and deep atmospheric lows”.
The Buds 2 only have basic IPX2 splash resistance, but the charging case has both USB-C and Qi wireless charging. Samsung says the earbuds can last for up to five hours on a single charge with ANC turned on and a further 15 in the case.
Samsung says the Buds 2 are the smallest and lightest in the Galaxy Buds series so far and they are available in four colours: Graphite, White, Lavender and Olive.
Here’s an overview of the Galaxy Buds 2 specs:
Dynamic dual-drivers (woofer & tweeter)
- Bluetooth 5.2
- 3 mics per bud
- ANC with Ambient sound mode
- Accelerometer, Gyro, Proximity, Hall, Touch sensors
- 61mAh (bud), 472mAh (case)
- 5 hours buds, 15 hours case (ANC on)
- USB-C & Qi wireless charging
- IPX2
- 17×20.9×21.1mm, 5g (buds)
- 50×50.2×27.8mm, 41.2g (case)
We discussed the Galaxy Buds 2 – along with all the other new products announced in the same week – in an episode of our weekly podcast Fast Charge, which you can watch right here: