Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro – everything we know so far and what we want to see
Read through our Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro review and you'll see that we were very impressed with the wireless earbuds. However, they launched in August 2022 and we're still waiting for a new pair of Pro earbuds to replace these.
Samsung hasn't made anything official yet, but here we're going to round up all the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro leaks and rumors we've heard so far – and offer some opinions on the upgrades Samsung should be thinking about.
If you just can't wait any longer, head over to our guide to the best wireless earbuds and see if there's something you like. However, based on how good the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro were, it might be worth sticking with their successors.
Galaxy Buds 3 Pro: Rumored release date
As you read above, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro broke in August 2022 – so we expected the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro during the July 2023 Unpacked event. For whatever reason, they didn't show up.
Considering the original Galaxy Buds Pro launched in January 2021, an 18-month gap between versions might be more realistic. That would put the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro launch date sometime in early 2024.
Furthermore, the only real leak we've heard so far suggests that the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro will indeed launch sometime in 2024, although the source doesn't mention a specific time during that twelve months, so the wait continues.
Galaxy Buds 3 Pro: expected price
So far we haven't heard anything about the price of the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, but we can look back at the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro: at launch they would have set you back $229 / £219 / AU$349, so that will give you an idea of the price we are talking about.
Other pricing details to consider: The more basic 2021 Galaxy Buds 2 cost $150 / £140 / AU$219, while the Galaxy Buds FE launched in 2023 cost $99 / £99 / AU$199. The Pro buttons are clearly the premium buttons in terms of price and features.
We didn't expect the price of the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro to drop below the level of their predecessors: $229 / £219 / AU$349. Given the inflation we've also seen in manufacturing and materials, we'd the new earplugs may ultimately cost a little more.
Galaxy Buds 3 Pro: what we want to see
Rumors and leaks about the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are quite scarce at the moment – perhaps we'll hear more about them in 2024. That also applies to the standard Samsung Galaxy Buds 3, by the way – we've barely heard a peep about them either.
While we wait for more from the rumor mill, we have a few ideas on how Samsung could improve the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro wireless earbuds, which are admittedly already very impressive.
1. More interesting colors
Nowadays, wireless earbuds are about more than just music: they are also fashion statements. The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro had the vaguely interesting bora purple color in addition to the fairly standard black and white options, but we think the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro can do better. Samsung's phones are colorful enough, so why not the wireless earbuds too?
2. Better battery life
Of course, the eternal request with every new pair of wireless earbuds: better battery life. With active noise cancellation enabled, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro can only charge for five hours between charges, which isn't great, although that can go up to 18 hours with the case. Let's hope Samsung can pull off some technological magic and extend that time further.
3. Improved AI
You can talk to Bixby through the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, but we think Samsung can do better, especially in the ChatGPT era.
We've heard rumors that the Samsung Galaxy S24 will be packed with AI features, so we're hoping this will spill over to the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro next year – giving you a truly smart and capable AI assistant built right into your earbuds .
4. Same price
We don't mind paying for quality, and we understand that getting the best tech to work in such a small space is an expensive proposition – but that said, we hope Samsung manages to keep the Galaxy's price down Buds Pro series around $229. / £219 / AU$349. For comparison, you'll pay $249 / £249 / AU$399 for the AirPods Pro 2.
5. Adjustable noise reduction
Better audio is always a given when it comes to a wish list for new wireless earbuds, but we're going to mention it anyway. In particular, we'd like to see a bit more granularity in terms of the active noise cancellation on the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro – perhaps a selection of modes, as is the case with some rivals (see our Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 review for details).