Samsung Galaxy Buds2 review: Feature-rich premium earbuds
Over the last couple of years, Samsung has done a pretty good job with the compact Galaxy Buds earphones series. Now, the company has come up with the new Buds2 with a refined design and improved technology to deliver better audio quality.
I used new Samsung earbuds for over a week and here are my thoughts about the Galaxy Buds2.
Design and build quality
Our review unit is a classical graphite colour variant. It comes in a glossy white case in a curved squarish pebble form factor. Inside, you will find the small smooth chocolate ball-like earbuds with silicone ear tips but in grey colour.
By the way, the company is offering three pairs of ear tips - Large, medium (pre-fitted with earbuds), and small and users can find the best comfortable fit for the ears.
It should be noted that Samsung offers an earbud fit test through a mobile app (Galaxy Wearable) to check if the outside noise can be blocked properly with the current ear tips for a better and comfortable fit.
It comes in three other colours--flawless white, soothing olive, and stylish lavender. They too look good to the eyes.
Like the previous iteration, each new earbud features a pogo pin for charging and also features high-quality sensors. They automatically sense the user has removed the earbuds and stops playing the music instantly, saving battery life.
Also, the Galaxy Buds2 comes with an IPX2 rating, which means the earbuds can sustain sweat due to heavy workouts at the gym and also be able to survive accidental water splashes and moderate rain.
Though the Galaxy Buds2 are light (weigh 5g apiece) and fit comfortably in my ears, I always felt anxious about losing them during the rush hour on the bus. It's psychological and I couldn't overcome it in my routine commute between the home and the office.
But, I have to note, I wore the Galaxy Buds2 during my weekend morning walks and jogged for a short distance on the mud track, and they stay put in my ears.
User-interface and performance
Like the previous iteration and any other earphones, setting up Galaxy Buds 2 was easy and is faster, if you happen to own any of the mid-range Samsung Galaxy A or premium S, Fold series models.
The instant you open the case, a screen pops up on the Samsung phones to initiate the pairing process. Users just have to follow the on-screen suggestions and it gets over in a few minutes. If you own non-Samsung Android phones, you need to install the Galaxy Wearable app.
With this app, users can assign functionalities to touch and hold gestures. You will get four options- Switch noise control to Ambient Sound (and vice-versa), Bixby, Volume down (in left earbud)/Volume Up (in right earbud), and Spotify (open app on phone).
With the other three gestures-- single tap, double-tap, and triple taps-- you can play/pause music, play the next track and play the previous track, respectively.
The active noise canceling feature of the Galaxy Buds2 does a fine job of delivering clear and crisp audio be it during the phone or while playing music. I have to note that, there is a bit of leakage of outside environment noise, but never overwhelming. Samsung too acknowledges that the ANC feature cuts external noise by up to 98%.
Furthermore, the device offers three sound levels-- high, medium, and low- in Ambient mode.
It features three mics (two outside and one inside) and a built-in voice pickup unit inside. They work in tandem to pick clear audio even under noisy background. Backed by the machine learning-based algorithm, they do a fine job.
Add to that, the Galaxy Buds2 comes with dynamic two-way speakers (with Woofer + Tweeter driver units). This apparently helps the earbud to deliver crisp, clear high notes and deep bass.
In reality, yes they do work wonderfully in delivering the best possible audio output.
Also, with the equalizer feature on the mobile app, users can tweak the settings to-- Normal, Bass Boost, Soft, Dynamic, Clear, and Treble Boost-- to adjust audio output to certain frequencies of their choice to improve the audio listening experience.
I played tracks of different genres of music including Carnatic devotional songs, rock, heavy metal, blues, hip-hop, and others. I am happy to note, the Galaxy Buds2 fared well and there was no stressing issue I can complain of.
With Bluetooth 5.2, it is capable of maintaining a steady connection with the companion device inside any corner of the house.
Also, Samsung Galaxy Buds2 also boasts lost mode. Users can locate the lost Earbuds with the companion phone. Just have to install the SmartThings app and you will be able to track and find them.
As far as the battery life is concerned, it promises to offer up to five hours with ANC on and up to 7.5 hours with ANC off. In real-life usage terms, it worked fine for me and was able to perform as advertised.
For the uninitiated, each of the earbuds comes with a 61mAh cell and the case features a 472mAh battery.
I never faced any anxiety of losing connection due to a shortage of battery power. Thanks to the battery life indicator on the mobile app, I was always aware and charge at the appropriate time, so that the earbuds' case is fully powered most of the time.
It also supports fast charging. Just five minutes of charging is enough for the earbuds to deliver up to one hour of listening time.
Final thoughts
Samsung's new Galaxy Buds2 is a worthy premium earbud for Android phone users. The touch sensors on the smooth outer shell are really quick to respond to touch inputs and most importantly deliver excellent audio output. Also, the active noise-canceling feature, as noted before, does an excellent job to offer clear audio amidst a noisy environment.
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