It's official:Samsung's Galaxy Buds Plus are now considered next-generation. At today's Galaxy Unpacked event, the company announced its long-running successor, the Galaxy Buds 2, a new set of true wireless earbuds that seek to refine Samsung's recent formula instead of reinventing it. .
In terms of design, they are not radically different from the Galaxy Buds Plus. Each earbud is lighter and features a more rounded exterior. The Galaxy Buds 2 will also come in four distinct colors (dark gray, green, purple, and white), and each earbud includes a tri-point microphone, active noise cancellation, and three sizes of silicone tips. Like Google's A-series Pixel Buds, they also come paired with a wireless charging case, which has a playful interior that matches the color of the buds.
However, the Buds 2 will not match the Plus at all. According to Samsung, battery life is rated at five hours of continuous playback with ANC on (the case bumps that up to 20 hours). If you turn noise canceling off, you might get 7.5 hours, still short of the 11 hour maximum for the Plus.
According to our review, the Buds 2 also don't have the same sonic performance as the Plus, offering competent noise cancellation and somewhat mechanized ambient sound. And the Buds 2 are only rated IPX2 for water resistance, as opposed to the Pro's IPX7. But these are the cheapest headphones in the Samsung range.
Galaxy Buds 2 are currently available for pre-order starting today for $149.99, the same price the Galaxy Buds Plus were when they debuted and $50 less than the Galaxy Buds Pro. For $5 more you can add a Galaxy SmartTag. They will launch alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 3 5G and Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G on August 27.
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2
$150
According to Samsung, these are the smallest and lightest true wireless earbuds it's ever made, with two-way drivers, active noise cancellation and an ambient sound mode. They come in green, white, purple, and dark gray; currently on pre-order, they should ship on August 27.
