The Galaxy Buds Pro are Samsung’s latest set of truly wireless earphones, and they were officially unveiled alongside the Galaxy S21 today. While Samsung said that the Galaxy Buds Pro's design is inspired by the Galaxy Buds Live, they are aimed at a different set of audience. They might look very similar on paper, but they are different in terms of audio quality, features, and battery life. Let us compare them to find out how they are different.
Galaxy Buds Pro vs Galaxy Buds Live: Audio and call quality
The Galaxy Buds Pro and the Galaxy Buds Live use the same Bluetooth 5.0 chip that supports AAC, SBC, and SSC (Samsung Scalable Codec). They even feature the same three-microphone array on each side for clearer audio during calls. However, the Galaxy Buds Pro uses a dual-driver setup (11mm woofer and 6.5mm tweeters) and an in-ear canal design. In comparison, the Galaxy Buds Live use a single-driver setup (12mm dynamic driver) and a semi-open design. This means that the Galaxy Buds Pro sound better and can passively block outside noise.
They both feature active noise cancellation (ANC), Ambient Mode, and AKG audio tuning, but the Galaxy Buds Pro offer a better noise cancellation performance due to their in-ear canal design. Samsung claims that its new set of truly wireless earphones can remove up to 99% of unwanted outside noise while listening to music or during calls.
Galaxy Buds Pro vs Galaxy Buds Live: Additional features
Both earphones are compatible with the Galaxy Wearable app, which means that you can customize touch controls, select the equalizer, adjust ANC and Ambient Mode levels using the paired smartphone. They even have the Game Mode to reduce audio latency and Swift Pair for effortless pairing with Windows 10 PCs. The Bixby Voice Wakeup feature on both truly wireless earphones makes it easier to summon the digital voice assistant. They also feature infrared sensors for wear detection to pause and play music automatically.
The Galaxy Buds Pro has a few features that are missing on the Galaxy Buds Live, though. The new set of wireless earbuds have Dolby’s 360-degree audio feature, which can be activated when paired with Galaxy smartphones or tablets. This feature offers a more immersive audio experience while watching videos. When paired with the Galaxy S21, the mics on the Galaxy Buds Pro can be synchronized with the mics on the smartphone for improved audio while recording videos. The Galaxy Buds Pro also come with the SmartThings Find feature, which makes it a bit easier to find the earphones when you lose them.
The Galaxy Buds Live feature an IPX2 rating for sweat resistance, but the Galaxy Buds Pro take the IP rating up a notch with an IPX7 certification for water resistance. The Galaxy Buds Live are great for those who don’t prefer an in-ear canal design or those who don’t like their earbuds sticking out too much.
Galaxy Buds Pro vs Galaxy Buds Live: Battery life and charging
The Galaxy Buds Pro last up to 8 hours (5 hours with ANC turned on) on a single charge, and their case provides up to an additional 20 hours of battery juice (13 hours with ANC turned on). In comparison, the Galaxy Buds Live last 8 hours (6 hours with ANC on) on a single charge and up to 29 hours (21 hours with ANC on) with the charging case. Both earphones have a square-shaped charging case with a USB Type-C port, fast charging, and Qi wireless charging.
The Galaxy Buds Pro and the Galaxy Buds Live have similar features on paper. However, due to the former's in-ear canal design, a dual-driver setup, and some additional features, they manage to offer better audio quality and active noise cancellation performance. However, if you don't prefer an in-ear canal design, you should go with the Galaxy Buds Live. It is all about user preference between the two.
Which truly wireless earphones do you like the most between the Galaxy Buds Pro and the Galaxy Buds Live? Let us know in the comments section below.
Samsung
Galaxy Buds Pro
Samsung
Galaxy Buds Live
General Information
-
Model Name
Galaxy Buds Pro
Galaxy Buds Live
-
Model type
Headset
Headset
-
Colors
()
Bronze (Mystic Bronze)Black (Mystic Black)White (Mystic White)
-
Announced
2020, August
-
Released
2020, August
Physical specifications
-
Dimensions
Ear Buds: 20.5 x 19.5 x 20.8 mmCradle (Ear Buds): x x mm
Ear Buds: 27.3 x 16.5 x 14.9 mmCradle (Ear Buds): 50 x 50.2 x 27.8 mm
-
Weights
6.3gg
5.6g42.2g
-
IP rating
IPX7
IPX2
Operating system
-
Operating system
ThreadX
ThreadX
Display
-
Kind
-
Size
inch / mm
inch / mm
-
Resolution
/ x pixels
/ x pixels
