Samsung rolled out the Galaxy Buds last year to some success, offering a solid alternative to Apple's AirPods for less money.
They work well enough that Samsung saw little reason to change much for its new model, the Galaxy Buds+.
These $149.99 true wireless earphones are slightly more expensive than the original pair, and offer almost the same fit, design, and audio performance.
The improvements come in the form of better voice quality and 11-hour battery life, which we feel is worth the increase in price, though we still give a slight preference to the $180 Jabra Elite 75t.
Design
The Galaxy Buds+ look identical to the previous Galaxy Buds.
They're available in black, blue, or white (the blue is new from the first generation, and replaces the neon yellow version), which applies to both the earphones and the charging case.
Each earpiece is a plump bulb covered in glossy plastic, with a small protrusion for the in-canal eartip.
Three differently sized sets of silicone eartips and fins are included, letting you find a snug in-ear fit.
The back of each earpiece has a rounded triangular touch panel that serves as a control surface.
Tapping either panel once plays and pauses music, tapping twice answers and ends calls or skips to the next track, and tapping three times goes to the previous track.
You can configure what touching and holding the panel does through the Galaxy Wearables app, like bringing up your phone's voice assistant, activating the Ambient Sound mode to listen to your surroundings, or turning the volume down (left earpiece) and up (right earpiece).
Note that this is the only way you get physical volume controls on the Galaxy Buds+, and they aren't enabled by default.
The touch panels feel a bit overly sensitive, as it's easy to play or pause audio when you're putting the earphones in or taking them out.
The charging case is a simple pill-shaped, flip-top holder for the earphones.
An LED on the front shows when the case is charging and its current battery level.
A USB-C port on the back lets you charge the case quickly through a wired connection.
The case is also compatible with wireless chargers.
Pairing the Galaxy Buds+ with an Android phone is easy thanks to the Galaxy Wearables app, which works regardless of whether it's a Galaxy phone or not.
My Google Pixel 3a XL automatically found the Galaxy Buds+ through the app and paired them without any issue, immediately enabling the various features and options provided through the app (like six equalizer presets).
The Buds+ are also compatible with iPhones running iOS 10 and newer.
You probably shouldn't count on the Galaxy Buds+ for use during heavy exercise.
While they hold a formal IP rating for water resistance, that rating is only IPX2, one of the lowest available.
It means the earphones are protected against dripping water, but not sprays or submersion.
We like to see an IP rating of at least IPX4 for workout-friendly earphones, and ideally IPX6 or IPX7 so you can rinse them off safely.
Battery Life
The big upgrade here is battery life.
According to Samsung, the earphones can last up to 11 hours before needing a charge.
That's well at the top of the battery life list for true wireless earphones (based on typical usage, and will vary depending on how loud you listen to music and what features you use).
However, the charging case only holds one full extra charge (11 hours), a relatively unimpressive number when many other true wireless earphones boast two or three full charges in their case.
Still, the ability to use the Galaxy Buds+ on a long flight without needing to pop them in the charging case is very welcome.
Quick charge is another notable advantage for the Galaxy Buds+.
They can get three hours of listening time with a quick 10-minute charge in the case.
Performance
The Galaxy Buds+ have the same AKG-tuned drivers as the original Galaxy Buds, which provide a clear, full sound with nice balance.
The kick drum hits in our bass test track, The Knife's "Silent Shout," come through at maximum volume levels with clear low-frequency presence and without a hint of distortion.
The thump won't rattle your head or give you the sense of a subwoofer, even with the equalizer in the Samsung Wearables app set to Bass Boost.
Yes' "Roundabout" sounds excellent here.
The opening guitar plucks get plenty of high-frequency string texture and a reasonable amount of low-frequency resonance.
The earphones don't reach too far into the bass range, but a very strong balance from low-mids to highs keeps the track sounding clean and crisp.
The electric bass sounds just punchy enough to keep its place in the mix, while the guitar strums, cymbals, and vocals stay front and center.
The Crystal Method's "Born Too Slow" sounds energetic, with the driving drums and guitars coming through clearly against the vocals.
The lower frequencies from the bass drum hits don't quite produce the imposing sense of force they can on more bass-heavy earphones, but again the overall sense of balance produces a very pleasing sound signature, with plenty of clarity and energy.
The mic also sound quite good.
My voice came through clearly in test calls, showing little in the way of Bluetooth artifacts or the muffled, distant sound of some true wireless mics.
Ambient Sound mode enables external microphones to help give you a better sense of your own voice when you talk.
A Small but Notable Upgrade
The Samsung Galaxy Buds+ are just like the original, just with much more longer battery life for a slightly higher price.
They deliver solid audio performance, good voice quality, and, of course, terrific battery life.
They aren't perfect, however; the touch panels are a little too sensitive and the IP rating is very low.
Still, they're a solid choice in this price range, and worth your consideration.
If you want a bit more power in a true wireless package, Jabra's Elite 75t earphones feature stronger sound, better water resistance, and a more customizable EQ for $30 more, while the JBL UA True Wireless Flash offer a more bass-focused listening experience for the same price as the Galaxy Buds+.
And if you're looking to save some money, the Anker SoundCore Liberty Air deliver surprisingly strong performance for just $80.
Pros
Crisp, balanced sound.
Long battery life.
Strong microphone.
The Bottom Line
Samsung's true wireless Galaxy Buds+ earphones deliver similarly strong audio performance to the previous model, with nearly double the battery life.
Samsung rolled out the Galaxy Buds last year to some success, offering a solid alternative to Apple's AirPods for less money.
They work well enough that Samsung saw little reason to change much for its new model, the Galaxy Buds+.
These $149.99 true wireless earphones are slightly more expensive than the original pair, and offer almost the same fit, design, and audio performance.
The improvements come in the form of better voice quality and 11-hour battery life, which we feel is worth the increase in price, though we still give a slight preference to the $180 Jabra Elite 75t.
Design
The Galaxy Buds+ look identical to the previous Galaxy Buds.
They're available in black, blue, or white (the blue is new from the first generation, and replaces the neon yellow version), which applies to both the earphones and the charging case.
Each earpiece is a plump bulb covered in glossy plastic, with a small protrusion for the in-canal eartip.
Three differently sized sets of silicone eartips and fins are included, letting you find a snug in-ear fit.
The back of each earpiece has a rounded triangular touch panel that serves as a control surface.
Tapping either panel once plays and pauses music, tapping twice answers and ends calls or skips to the next track, and tapping three times goes to the previous track.
You can configure what touching and holding the panel does through the Galaxy Wearables app, like bringing up your phone's voice assistant, activating the Ambient Sound mode to listen to your surroundings, or turning the volume down (left earpiece) and up (right earpiece).
Note that this is the only way you get physical volume controls on the Galaxy Buds+, and they aren't enabled by default.
The touch panels feel a bit overly sensitive, as it's easy to play or pause audio when you're putting the earphones in or taking them out.
The charging case is a simple pill-shaped, flip-top holder for the earphones.
An LED on the front shows when the case is charging and its current battery level.
A USB-C port on the back lets you charge the case quickly through a wired connection.
The case is also compatible with wireless chargers.
Pairing the Galaxy Buds+ with an Android phone is easy thanks to the Galaxy Wearables app, which works regardless of whether it's a Galaxy phone or not.
My Google Pixel 3a XL automatically found the Galaxy Buds+ through the app and paired them without any issue, immediately enabling the various features and options provided through the app (like six equalizer presets).
The Buds+ are also compatible with iPhones running iOS 10 and newer.
You probably shouldn't count on the Galaxy Buds+ for use during heavy exercise.
While they hold a formal IP rating for water resistance, that rating is only IPX2, one of the lowest available.
It means the earphones are protected against dripping water, but not sprays or submersion.
We like to see an IP rating of at least IPX4 for workout-friendly earphones, and ideally IPX6 or IPX7 so you can rinse them off safely.
Battery Life
The big upgrade here is battery life.
According to Samsung, the earphones can last up to 11 hours before needing a charge.
That's well at the top of the battery life list for true wireless earphones (based on typical usage, and will vary depending on how loud you listen to music and what features you use).
However, the charging case only holds one full extra charge (11 hours), a relatively unimpressive number when many other true wireless earphones boast two or three full charges in their case.
Still, the ability to use the Galaxy Buds+ on a long flight without needing to pop them in the charging case is very welcome.
Quick charge is another notable advantage for the Galaxy Buds+.
They can get three hours of listening time with a quick 10-minute charge in the case.
Performance
The Galaxy Buds+ have the same AKG-tuned drivers as the original Galaxy Buds, which provide a clear, full sound with nice balance.
The kick drum hits in our bass test track, The Knife's "Silent Shout," come through at maximum volume levels with clear low-frequency presence and without a hint of distortion.
The thump won't rattle your head or give you the sense of a subwoofer, even with the equalizer in the Samsung Wearables app set to Bass Boost.
Yes' "Roundabout" sounds excellent here.
The opening guitar plucks get plenty of high-frequency string texture and a reasonable amount of low-frequency resonance.
The earphones don't reach too far into the bass range, but a very strong balance from low-mids to highs keeps the track sounding clean and crisp.
The electric bass sounds just punchy enough to keep its place in the mix, while the guitar strums, cymbals, and vocals stay front and center.
The Crystal Method's "Born Too Slow" sounds energetic, with the driving drums and guitars coming through clearly against the vocals.
The lower frequencies from the bass drum hits don't quite produce the imposing sense of force they can on more bass-heavy earphones, but again the overall sense of balance produces a very pleasing sound signature, with plenty of clarity and energy.
The mic also sound quite good.
My voice came through clearly in test calls, showing little in the way of Bluetooth artifacts or the muffled, distant sound of some true wireless mics.
Ambient Sound mode enables external microphones to help give you a better sense of your own voice when you talk.
A Small but Notable Upgrade
The Samsung Galaxy Buds+ are just like the original, just with much more longer battery life for a slightly higher price.
They deliver solid audio performance, good voice quality, and, of course, terrific battery life.
They aren't perfect, however; the touch panels are a little too sensitive and the IP rating is very low.
Still, they're a solid choice in this price range, and worth your consideration.
If you want a bit more power in a true wireless package, Jabra's Elite 75t earphones feature stronger sound, better water resistance, and a more customizable EQ for $30 more, while the JBL UA True Wireless Flash offer a more bass-focused listening experience for the same price as the Galaxy Buds+.
And if you're looking to save some money, the Anker SoundCore Liberty Air deliver surprisingly strong performance for just $80.
Pros
Crisp, balanced sound.
Long battery life.
Strong microphone.
The Bottom Line
Samsung's true wireless Galaxy Buds+ earphones deliver similarly strong audio performance to the previous model, with nearly double the battery life.
