Apple's AirPods quickly became the standard for wireless headphones.
But Samsung just released its Galaxy Buds, which are a great alternative.
Plus, they look a lot less silly.
Here's how they stack up against the AirPods.
Samsung Galaxy Buds are just as easy to set up as AirPods are for an
iPhone. You just open the case and as long as you are near a Samsung
phone, you will see a prompt that lets you pair them.
You don't have to go digging through a Bluetooth menu, so long as you are using Android.
The Galaxy Buds also work with iPhones, but you need to pair them manually
with Bluetooth instead of using the fast pairing option.
The Galaxy Buds sound just as good as AirPods.
While I've never complained about the quality from my AirPods, I thought
the Galaxy Buds sounded good.
They are better at blocking out external noise and have controls that let
you change the equalizer to highlight bass or treble in the music you are
listening to.
AirPods have even more equalizer controls, however.
I think the Galaxy Buds are just as comfortable as AirPods, but they are
different. The Galaxy Buds are softer than AirPods, so they didn't hurt my
ears after I wore them for a few hours.
And they are also really good staying in my ear, so I could run without them falling out.
Other people though, said that AirPods fit their ears better, so you will want to try both.
Unlike Apple's AirPods, Samsung's Galaxy Buds allow you to charge them
wirelessly, which is awesome.
That means you can drop them on any Qi-enabled wireless charging pad or
even the back of Samsung's new Galaxy S10 phones to power them up.
And that means, you don't have to go searching for an outlet.
Excuse me!
Do you know where the nearest outlet is?
You should not have to worry too much about battery life though.
Samsung's Galaxy Buds give you six hours of battery life plus another
seven once you put them in the case.
But Apple's AirPods are better.
They give you five hours, but up to 24 hours when you use the case.
Here's one thing I didn't like.
I never knew how much juice was left in the Samsung Galaxy Bud's case.
That's something Apple always tells you.
The Galaxy Buds are cheaper than AirPods too.
Samsung charges $129 for these, while Apple charges $159 for AirPods.
Then there are features in the Galaxy Buds that you don't get in AirPods
like Google Assistant and ambient noise controls.
I like that I could tap the side of the Galaxy Buds to activate Google
Assistant and ask it anything.
How long will it take me to get to Yankee Stadium?
AirPods only work with Siri, which isn't generally as smart as Google
Assistant. Plus, I can use Google Assistant to play Spotify.
Play music by the Backstreet Boys.
The ambient noise feature lets you tap one of the earbuds so you can hear
your surroundings better.
This worked just okay.
The music got really soft and I found it was just as easy to pause a song.
So should you buy them?
If you run Android, think AirPods look silly or are worried about how they
fit, then you should check out the Samsung Galaxy Buds.
Galaxy Buds are cheaper than AirPods, sound good, are comfortable and have
additional features like wireless charging.
But, if you have an iPhone and want something that pairs quickly and
seamlessly, stick to AirPods.