The best wireless earbuds aren’t as exclusive a club as they used to be. It feels like there’s a new pair of earbuds competing for a spot on the list every week. While keeping up with all these new models can be a hassle for us reviewers, it’s a testament to how far wireless earbuds have come in the last 10 years.
What better way to show off these incredible improvements than with a showdown that sees the recently launched Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro against the older, but still very reliable ones Google Pixel Buds Pro? Both serve as versatile earbuds with their own long lists of pros and cons to suit a wide range of varying requirements including IP protections, connectivity, battery life, and more.
OUR Latest episode of Tech Takedownwhich is a recurring show on our Youtube channel which pits two similar products against each other, puts these two titans on stage. Editor-in-Chief John Velasco sides with his beloved Pixel Buds against my newly acquired Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. Watch the full video here:
To watch
Over the course of two rounds, John and I compete to determine which set of earbuds is the best choice, considering everything from key features to use cases that make one earbud or the other stand out. After each round, a 30-second rebuttal period begins, during which opposing arguments can be made against the user's preferred features. The winner, of course, is decided by you.
My basic argument for the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro comes down to its plethora of AI features and various smart features. This mainly comes down to the hands-free assistance features, which allow me to simply say a certain command out loud, like “stop music,” when I’m indisposed and can’t reach my phone.
Beyond that feature, the Buds 3 Pro can also be paired with the Galaxy Z Flip 6 or Galaxy Z Fold 6 to use its translation feature. This is perfect for someone like me who is currently learning a language (Japanese, in this case) because the earbuds can directly translate spoken words and phrases without any extra steps. ありがと, Samsung! (That’s “Thank you, Samsung!”)
John made an excellent rebuttal, claiming that Google has its own translations and AI features (both of which are found on a wide range of other phones). He also made a point of pointing out Google Assistant, which gives the Pixel Buds Pro similar hands-free functionality to the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro.
John’s choice of the Pixel Buds Pro, on the other hand, is mainly down to his appreciation for their design. The Pixel Buds come in a wide range of different colors, including blue, red, green, black, and white, which adds a level of customization to your audio on the go. They’re also relatively comfortable and come in a case that’s small enough to fit in almost any pocket without being too bulky.
The problem is that few, if any, buyers care much about design, because the most important feature should be audio quality. I countered by explaining that the Pixel Buds Pro’s design, while impressive, isn’t a major purchasing decision, and that while they only come in two colors, silver and white, the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro and their case look nearly identical to the competition.
The second thing that made me lean towards the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro is their ingress protection measures, which are rated at IP57 for the earbuds themselves. Unfortunately, the case doesn’t have an IP rating, but the Pixel Buds Pro are simply IPX4. This means that the Galaxy options are much more durable and can handle everything from dust to sweat without any issues.
John’s final argument for why the Pixel Buds Pro are better comes down to their value for money. It’s no secret that the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are pretty expensive, at $249 compared to $199 for the Pixel Buds Pro (which are themselves often discounted to just $139). You can always opt for the cheaper Buds 3, which are just $179 and only lose the extra eartips that the Pros include.
While the Buds 3 Pro are best suited for Samsung and Android phones, the power and performance are still there for all users. You'll miss out on several great features if you pair the Buds 3 Pro with an iPhone, but the audio quality and ANC will still work wonders.
We’ve tried to cover the breadth of why the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro or Pixel Buds Pro are compelling options in the wireless earbuds market, but now it’s up to you to decide which one is superior after watching our latest Tech Takedown in full. Don’t forget to like and subscribe to Tom’s Guide and stay tuned for all the upcoming coverage on the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro.