Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro: Price, Release Date, News & Specs

New Galaxy Buds are here. Here's everything you need to know

By
Tim Fisher
Photo of Tim Fisher, Lifewire GM and Writer
Tim Fisher
Senior Vice President & Group General Manager, Tech & Sustainability
  • Emporia State University

Tim Fisher has more than 30 years' of professional technology experience. He's been writing about tech for more than two decades and serves as the SVP and General Manager of Lifewire.

lifewire's editorial guidelines
Updated on May 11, 2021

In This Article

Jump to a Section

The Galaxy Buds Pro (early leaks called them Buds Beyond or Buds 2) are Samsung’s newest earbuds. Despite having just launched the Buds Live in August 2020, this new pair was released in January 2021 and features 3D audio, smart device switching, and voice detection for Ambient mode.

Galaxy Buds Pro silver, violet, and black
Buds Pro in Phantom Silver, Phantom Violet, and Phantom Black.

Samsung

Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro Release Date

The Buds Pro earphones were officially unveiled at the Samsung Galaxy S21 Unpacked 2021 event on January 14.

Keep reading for all the details. Also, watch Samsung announce them in the Galaxy Unpacked stream (starting at 4:31):

Beginning with the Galaxy S21, Samsung has transitioned to removing the charger plug and earphones from being bundled with their phones.

Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro Price

The Galaxy Buds Pro earphones are available from Samsung's website for $199.99. Preorders started there on January 14, followed by retail partners and carriers on January 15.

Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro Features

Active noise cancellation, also available with the Buds Live, is in these earbuds, too. But this upgraded pair offers a better experience. According to Samsung, they have the most intelligent ANC capabilities of any true wireless earbuds.

When you need to focus on work – or tune out from the world around to relax – you can reduce the background noise by up to 99 percent, fine-tuning to your preferred level.

Ambient Sound lets you amplify nearby sounds by more than 20dB, which lets you stay focused on what you're listening to and lets in other sounds. ANC and the Ambient feature work together so that when you're speaking with someone, the buds will stop canceling outside sounds and instead amplify them.

Auto Switch is a feature that lets you automatically switch between your devices when needed without having to fiddle with Bluetooth settings, something that's hard to do in the moment, like when you're getting a call. This feature means you can be listening to music on your tablet but instantly switch to your phone when a call comes through. The buds will even change back to the first device when the call ends. Smart!

While you wait for your new pair, you can watch this unboxing video. This YouTuber obtained the buds through a pre-release version found on Facebook Marketplace:

Here are some other things the Buds Pro offer:

  • SmartThings Find can locate either of your earbuds, even when they’re out of Bluetooth range (it locates the last known signal).
  • Three ear-tip sizes to ensure that they fit nicely.
  • Voice control to make calls, change music, switch between Samsung devices, and turn ANC and Ambient Mode on or off.
  • Use Buds Together to connect two sets of Buds Pro to your phone simultaneously.
  • Equalizer options, like to set the sound to bass boost, dynamic, clear, etc.
  • The option to block touches.
  • Left and right sound balance to control which ear hears more or less audio.
  • 3D audio for videos so you can hear sound from all directions.
  • Capture your voice and surrounding sounds by synchronizing the mics on your Buds Pro and Galaxy S21.
  • Hearing enhancements for people with hearing loss.

Galaxy Buds Pro Specs and Hardware

The Buds Pro earphones come in three colors: Phantom Black, Phantom Violet, and Phantom Silver. They're made from recycled plastic, support Bluetooth 5.0, and have a playtime of 8 hours (if noise canceling is off).

Samsung also upgraded the design. To boost sound quality and comfort, Samsung reduced the contact area between the earbuds and your ear, and the shape makes it a little less noticeable in your ear.

In addition, the company integrated its Wind Shield technology into the Buds Pro. The shape and tech work together to help filter out the annoying wind disturbances we're all familiar with, which will make it much easier to use the buds for phone calls.

Illustration of the Galaxy Buds Pro mic system and Wind Shield tech

Samsung
Galaxy Buds Pro Specs
Color: Violet, Black, Silver
Speaker & Mic: 2-way speaker (11mm Woofer+6.5mm Tweeter); 3 mics
ANC & Ambient Sound: ANC: 2 adjustable levels; Ambient: 4 adjustable levels; Voice detect
Bluetooth Version: v5.0
Battery: Buds: 61 mAh; Case: 472 mAh; 1 hr playtime with 5m quick charge
Sensor: Accelerometer, Gyro, Proximity, Hall, Touch, Voice Pickup Unit(VPU)
Dimensions: 19.5x20.5x20.8 mm, 6.3g
Playtime: No case: 5 hrs (ANC on), 8 hrs (ANC off)

Case: 18 hrs (ANC on); 28 hrs (ANC off)
Water Resistance: IPX7
Material: Post Consumer Material; Recycled plastic for buds and case (20%)
Compatibility: Phones and tablets running Android 7.0 or higher with at least 1.5 GB of RAM.

Latest Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro News

You can get more smartwatch/wearable news from Lifewire. Below are some of the early rumors and recent news stories surrounding the new buds.

Was this page helpful?