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I wore the Samsung Galaxy Fit 3 for 2 weeks, and it’s impressively cheap for the sheer amount of features it packs
7:41 pm | June 10, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Fitness Trackers Gadgets Health & Fitness | Tags: , , , | Comments: Off

Samsung Galaxy Fit 3: One minute review

Samsung isn't a brand I immediately associate with affordable smart tech, but the Galaxy Fit 3 is one of the cheapest proprietary fitness trackers on the market. Even Google's Fitbit Inspire 3 band, which a few years ago seemed like a sensible entry point to the best fitness trackers, is double the price.

Samsung launched the Fit 3 in several territories in early 2024, but its US debut only came this January. It replaces and builds on the Galaxy Fit 2 – a good-looking budget band that we found had questionable heart rate accuracy – with some noticeable improvements to design and tracking.

The Fit 3 has a refined design with a bigger, brighter screen to accommodate wider stats viewing. It can now monitor blood oxygenation levels and also has a decent swim stroke counter. But while the Fit 2 worked with some iPhone models, the Fit 3 does no such thing. This tracker is only compatible with Android 10 or above, which I've already seen complaints about in some online reviews: Samsung doesn't make this super clear when you shop online.

The Samsung Galaxy Fit 3 watch in grey worn on a female wrist

(Image credit: Lauren Scott)

While Apple hasn't focused any effort on serving up its own entry into the best cheap fitness trackers game, it seems Samsung wants to tap into this underserved corner of the market alongside its premium Galaxy Watch range. In short, the Fit 3 records and displays your steps walked, calories burned, heart rate, stress levels, sleep, and more, with just a few swipes and taps on its touchscreen.

As a runner, I was frustrated that the Fit 3 didn't have GPS, but at such a low price, I'm not sure you can expect it to. It's a simple, accessible device that monitors your everyday health data without costing a fortune.

It offers smartwatch-style notifications and music controls, plus weather info and the usual collection of customizable watch faces to choose from on the Samsung Galaxy Wearable app. Navigating through screens is easy and enjoyable thanks to a responsive touchscreen and very clear menu design. As someone used to Garmin's convoluted settings and screens, the Fit 3 was a breath of fresh air.

Samsung says that the battery should last 13 days, and I found I'd get at least 10, while tracking at least three short runs and wearing the band overnight during that time. Having worn many of the more advanced fitness devices on the market, I didn't feel shortchanged by the Fit 3's everyday health metrics, but I did sometimes question the accuracy of its heart rate during intense workouts.

It's simply brilliant value, though, with a lovely screen, clear stats and encouraging insights to help you improve your everyday health. Without on-board GPS, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone serious about running, but if it's your first fitness tracker or you don't have a lot to spend, the Fit 3 is a brilliant option.

Don't look at it if you've got an iPhone – but if you're a Samsung user, I'd still question whether investing all that money in a premium Galaxy Watch would give you greater accuracy and health features.

Samsung Galaxy Fit 3: Price and availability

  • Priced at around $59 / £49 / AU$139
  • The cheapest Samsung Galaxy fitness device
  • Made available in the US from January 2025

The Samsung Galaxy Fit 3 was released in Asia, Europe, and Latin America in early 2024. It didn't launch in the US until January 9, 2025. There are three colors to choose from (Gray, Silver and Pink Gold), all with the same RRP, but the Gray option, which is actually black in real life, gets reduced most often.

The device is easily Samsung's cheapest Galaxy fitness device, costing around $59 / £49 / AU$139, but even less if you pick up a regular Samsung or Amazon deal. Few devices can compete with the Fit 3's super-low price point, aside from the Google Fitbit Inspire 3, HUAWEI Band 9 and all those non-proprietary options on Amazon.

And unlike Fitbit, you don't have to pay for a premium membership to access all of the Galaxy Fit 3's features. Meaning the price you pay upfront is all you'll have to pay. The Samsung Health app is free, although it's worth noting (and I will again) that it only works with Android devices, pushing out the option for Apple users to buy the Fit 3.

  • Value score: 4.5/5

Samsung Galaxy Fit 3: Specifications

Dimensions

42.9 x 28.8 x 9.9 mm

Weight

18.5 g

Case/bezel

Aluminum

Display

1.6-inch 256 x 402px AMOLED display

GPS

No

Battery life

Up to 13 days

Connection

Bluetooth v5.3

Sensors

Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyro Sensor, Optical Heart Rate Sensor, Light Sensor

Waterproofing

5ATM/IP68

Samsung Galaxy Fit 3: Design

  • Responsive 1.6-inch AMOLED display
  • Flexible silicone strap
  • Water resistant to up to 50 meters

The Samsung Galaxy Fit 3 looks very different to its predecessor. Its 1.6-inch display is 0.5 inches bigger, with a wider, rectangular view in comparison, which allows you to see more stats without having to open your phone. I'd say the Fit 3 looks more like a smartwatch than the long, thin Fit 2, and with a 2.78x higher resolution on the display (now 256 x 402 px), it's a lot crisper too.

You can set up the screen to be always-on (which will drain the battery faster) or to illuminate when you move your wrist upwards. I went for this option to save power, but sometimes had to raise my arm multiple times to turn it on. On the plus side, the screen was easy to see in bright sunlight, and the auto-brightness feature worked well to adapt to different environments.

Where the screen was integrated into the band of the Fit 2, the Fit 3's tracker is easily detachable with a press of a button on the back. I love the ease of customization here. With the old Fit 2, you were stuck with the color of the band. But the 3's design is more similar to the Apple Watch, and you can swap out the silicone strap if you want to change your style.

The Samsung Galaxy Fit 3 watch in grey worn on a female wrist

(Image credit: Lauren Scott)

I think it's vital that fitness trackers are comfortable enough to wear for long periods – ideally overnight if you're going to use the sleep tracking features. At 18.5g, the Fit 3 is lightweight, and half the weight of my usual Garmin running watch, but I found wearing it uncomfortable sometimes.

Because the sensor sticks out from the back of the device, it doesn't sit flush with your skin. When I tightened the strap during workouts to get an accurate heart rate, or when my wrists got hot in warm weather, I'd get a deep imprint and have to take the Fit 3 off to give my skin a breather.

Overall, though, the Fit 3 feels well-made, and durable enough to withstand the elements, sweat and tough workouts. Its 5ATM waterproof rating provided peace of mind when swimming and showering.

The AMOLED screen is big and bright enough for those still wanting a smaller fitness band, and you soon get used to the basic touch gestures for moving across the settings and screens. A swipe-down brings up the home menu and settings, or a hold-down lets you change the watch face. The new button on the side brings you back to the home screen with a press or to the exercise with a double-press.

You'll need the Samsung Galaxy Wearable app and Samsung Health app to use the Fit 3. Once set up, the Wearable app lets you customize the view and order of tiles on the device and add more watch faces. Thankfully, it's also easy and intuitive to use, with fun themes and color coding to make information easy to scan.

  • Design score: 4/5

Samsung Galaxy Fit 3: Features

The Samsung Galaxy Fit 3 watch in grey worn on a female wrist

(Image credit: Lauren Scott)
  • Music playback and phone notifications
  • Tracks over 100 workouts (although not all are useful)
  • Records sleep stages

Being a budget tracker, it's no surprise that the Fit 3 omits many of the key features seen in Samsung's watch range. To keep the price down (and presumably battery life up), the Fit 3's smartphone connectivity is based on Bluetooth, and there's no Wi-Fi. The main benefit of Wi-Fi is a longer range for syncing data (helpful if you're exercising outdoors without a phone), but it makes no difference to the experience here.

Where the best Samsung watches offer impressive GPS for runners, the Fit 3 relies on being connected to a phone for route tracking. In short, you can't run (or cycle) phone-free and expect to record a truly accurate distance and pace.

Compared to the previous Galaxy Fit 2, though, the Fit 3 does have notable new features, including blood oxygen and heart rate variability sensors, a route tracker, and a barometer. A new light sensor also enables the optional always-on display mode I mentioned in the Design section.

The Samsung Galaxy Fit 3 watch in grey worn on a female wrist

(Image credit: Lauren Scott)

The Fit 3 doesn't have a built-in speaker or microphone, but you can answer calls directly from the screen and control your music or podcast playback when in range of your phone. The customizable vibration alerts are also useful for setting alarms.

The Fit 3 runs on a simplified FreeRTOS operating system, but you can’t access the Wear OS app store or connect to any third-party apps (such as Strava and Spotify). While the Fit 3 works with phones on Android 10 or later, certain features are only available on the best Samsung phones.

These include snore detection, which uses the phone's microphone to record and analyze audio, plus the ability to trigger the phone's camera with a button on the Fit 3. I used a Google Pixel phone to test the Fit 3, so I wasn't able to try either of these features, but they feel like gimmicks rather than dealbreakers for most enthusiast exercisers.

Given that the Fit 3 is destined for those early on their fitness journey, it makes sense for Samsung to have left out GPS tracking and ECG readings, which would have pushed the price up and perhaps been ignored by beginners anyway. What's left is a feature set worthy of the Fit 3's price tag – albeit too basic for certain users. There are over 100 workouts to choose from, although many of these are nothing more than a calorie counter, which I'll come to next.

  • Features score: 3.5/5

Samsung Galaxy Fit 3: Performance

The Samsung Galaxy Fit 3 watch on a female wrist in the sun

(Image credit: Lauren Scott)
  • Sleep scores missed data
  • (Mostly) accurate heart rate readings
  • Smooth and glitch-free use

This is a tracker designed for simplicity, so I hoped the Fit 3 setup would be straightforward. It comes in a small box with its band already attached, a USB-C charging cable (with no plug, which feels standard in a plastic-saving 2025) and a few booklets I mostly ignored.

First, I discovered I need two apps – Samsung Health and Galaxy Wearable – to set up the Fit 3, but it didn't take longer than five minutes to unbox and connect it to my partner's Pixel rather than my own incompatible iPhone. It took some more faff through permission screens, and another five minutes, to set up a Samsung account, but I suspect this is a step you could skip if you've had a previous Samsung device.

Once set up, I found navigating the tracker was smooth in every situation. Even when I had wet or sweaty hands, the touch response was accurate, which is a great result for a tracker you want to use while swimming and pushing yourself.

The Fit 3's 208mAh battery is around 30% bigger than the Fit 2's, and while I was impressed during testing, I never quite made it to the company’s 13-day maximum. I enabled the always-on display (taking it off during sleep) and got just over 5 full days before it conked out.

Putting the display back to a normal 15-second timer, and recording a 30-minute workout each day, it lasted 8 days. A dull charge took me 68 minutes, which is far shy of the Apple Watch 10 but half the time it takes me to charge up my older Garmin Forerunner 265S. So what? Well, you get much more juice than the majority of smartwatches, which is great if you don't want to be recharging constantly.

Screenshots from the Samsung Health app

(Image credit: Lauren Scott)

The Fit 3 has over 100 workout options, and you can set your favorites so they're easy to find. I certainly didn't test every one, but I did cover the basics – walking, running, swimming – plus some more rogue options like crunches, dancing and burpees. I expected a movement like crunches or bicep curls to capture repetitions, but you get a similarly generic screen to walking with duration, calories and average heart rate. It's not particularly useful.

To test the Fit 3's fitness and sleep tracking accuracy, I wore it alongside the Garmin Forerunner 265 constantly. When I checked at the end of each day, I found that my steps were different by about 500 steps higher on my Garmin, but over 17,000 steps, that didn't feel unreasonable.

The device came unstuck when I went for a five kilometer run without a phone. Because there's no GPS, the Fit 3 has to estimate your distance (I'd guess) based on height and steps. So after finishing the run, where my Forerunner had recorded 5K (three miles) exactly, the Fit 3 was at 2.81 miles. Of course, this deviance would rack up over longer distances.

My heart rate reading was much closer, with the Fit 3 within about five beats per minute (bpm) of the Forerunner at all times. I'm trying to focus on more Zone 2 training, and love how the Fit 3 displays heart rate zones while running or working out. I also tried out machines at the gym with heart rate monitors to cross-reference the Fit 3's readings. Again, it was within 3-8 bpm of a treadmill and stairmaster machine.

Screenshots from the Samsung Health app

(Image credit: Lauren Scott)

After all that exercise, I wore the Fit 3 to bed over a few weeks to record my sleep times and stages, blood oxygen, and (most importantly) to find out what sleep animal Samsung gave me.

Every morning, I read my sleep score to see how long and well I slept, but unfortunately, I often found it much lower than the relative scores from my Forerunner. On the night before writing this review, I got an actual sleep time of 6 hours 54 minutes, REM sleep 45 minutes on the Fit 3. On my Garmin, it was 8 hours 12, and 2 hours 26 REM.

Digging into any detailed metrics from the Fit 3 requires you to open the Samsung Health App. There, the sleep data is easy to read and attractively presented, with sleep stages on a color-coded scale. Personally, I can't feel confident that the Fit 3 sleep data is accurate, and I stopped wearing it in bed after a week.

Wearables have a long way to go in general when it comes to sleep, and the same goes for women's cycle tracking. I liked being able to log my period in the Samsung app and seeing my predicted fertile window, powered by Natural Cycles, and I suspect the timings would get more accurate the more input you give it. But again, the initial stats felt too much like guesstimates.

If all that sounds negative, it isn't meant to. The Fit 3 never lagged and never failed to log a workout or connect back to the smartphone. Notifications came through instantly, and while sleep tracking could be more reliable, wearables' data gaps tend to improve over time: Samsung's sleep tracking on devices such as the Samsung Galaxy Ring is highly rated.

  • Performance score: 4/5

Scorecard

Category

Comment

Score

Value

An impressively low price for the features and ease-of-use.

4.5/5

Design

Loved the bright screen, but found the band less comfortable than other devices.

4/5

Features

Without GPS the device is more limited, but workout tracking is great.

4/5

Performance

Accurate heart rate tracking, a smooth if not basic app and impressive 10-day battery life.

3.5/5

The Samsung Galaxy Fit 3 watch in grey worn on a female wrist

(Image credit: Lauren Scott)

Samsung Galaxy Fit 3: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

You've got a Samsung Galaxy phone

The most streamlined experience is achieved by pairing the Fit 3 with a Samsung Galaxy device. It's a great budget tracker if that's the case.

You're a general gym-goer

If you want to track calories from gym classes or common exercise machines, the Fit 3 works well.

You're a beginner to fitness tracking

The Fit 3 makes fitness tracking simple and accessible. It doesn't have advanced metrics, but the stats it records paint a useful health picture.

Don't buy it if...

You’re on an Apple device

You can't connect the Fit 3 to an iPhone at all, which will be a disappointment to many Apple users.

You want GPS

You won't be able to record your location data unless the device is connected to a phone, which is no good for phone-free running, walking or cycling.

Also consider

Fitbit Luxe

It's four times more expensive than the Fit 3, but if you're looking for something more stylish, the Luxe has a gorgeous design. Sadly, it also lacks GPS.

Read our full Fitbit Luxe review

Amazfit Active 2

If you want something that looks more like a watch than a tracker, but at a similarly low price, this sub-$99 option offers excellent health tracking and a long battery.

Read our full Amazfit Active 2 review

How I tested the Samsung Galaxy Fit 3

I wore the Samsung Galaxy Fit 3 for over two weeks on one wrist, keeping my usual Garmin Forerunner 265S on the other (for stats comparison). It was linked to my partner's Google Pixel 8 Pro as my iPhone wasn't compatible. I wore the device overnight to test the sleep metrics over a sustained period and how well the battery lasted.

I tracked more than 10 workout types, including a few 5 km parkruns, Fiit workouts at home, aerobics, hikes, and even dancing. I logged heart rate and stress measurements at different times of day during testing and set up the female cycle tracking feature on the accompanying Samsung Health app.

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Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro review: the best Samsung Buds yet
7:00 am | August 18, 2022

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Earbuds & Airpods Gadgets Headphones | Tags: , , | Comments: Off

Editor's Note

• Original review date: August 2022
• Galaxy Buds 3 Pro rumored for August 2024 release
• Launch price: $229 / £219 / AU$349
• Target price now: $169 / £159 / $235

Updated: January 2024. There have been new releases from Sony and Bose since the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro came out, but we're still huge fans of these buds – especially for Galaxy phone owners, of course. Their hi-res audio support is still best in class, and their sound is rewarding, detailed and generally impressive. You will get better ANC power from something like the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II, but the Samsung can often be found for much cheaper than basically any of these other premium earbuds, for only a small step down in effectiveness. The official price is still high, but you should aim to pay the 'target' price listed above, which was possible at the time of writing this update. We should note that the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are expected to launch in August 2024, but they will surely cost more, so don't let it put you off unless you simply must always have the cutting-edge stuff, and you're willing to wait for something as-yet unconfirmed. The rest of this review remains as previously published.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro: two-minute review

Given Samsung's formidable reputation in the smartphone and tablet arena, it has long surprised us that the company's Galaxy Buds output never quite hit the mark. A sensible (and color-coordinating) bet if you're already buying a Galaxy phone, maybe, but best avoided by everyone else as a serious sonic proposition.

The big news is that Apple, Sony, Bose, Sennheiser and in fact all of the best wireless earbuds manufacturers now need to take a good look at what Samsung has done with the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. They're good. No, really, they're good

The company has emphatically turned a corner. These smaller, more comfortable and less arrogant earbuds (remember the rose gold, kidney-bean shaped Galaxy Buds Live? These are nothing like those) are packed full of useful perks such as excellent ANC, voice detect, wearer detection and customizable on-ear controls – all of which work very well indeed – plus IPX7 water ingress protection. 

But the headline-grabber, if you own a Samsung Galaxy device (and thus, access to the Samsung Wearable companion app and home-screen widget) is 360 audio with optional head-tracking, thus allowing you to use your phone as the focal point to direct more of that new end-to-end 24-bit high-res audio to whichever ear you prefer. 

With a standard price of $229 / £219 / AU$349 and available in Graphite, White, and Bora Purple, these are viable and slightly cheaper rivals to the Apple AirPods Pro if you own a Samsung Galaxy device – and we mulled this judgement over at length before telling you as much.

The uptick in sound quality emphatically goes hand in hand with the improved fit and lightness here – the Buds Pro 2 are 15% smaller than Samsung's last effort and 0.8g lighter per earpiece (5.5g vs the 6.3g Buds Pro) – but more importantly, the design fits your ear simply and without the wearer having to master any overly-aggressive twist-and-lock techniques. In terms of fit, Samsung has absolutely hit a home run with the Buds 2 Pro – and the praise doesn't stop there. 

The sound quality features a punchy bass, impactful and textured mids and sparkling, easily handled highs. You can tweak the EQ for yourself if you'd like, and a useful Voice Detect feature means that when you pipe up vocally, Ambient mode and lower music volume is automatically deployed to make your conversation easier. After five, 10 or 15 seconds of no talky (you can choose in the app), the music simply returns to normal. 

The scope for noise cancellation is on, off, or ambient (so you cannot select the level you'd like on a slider, for example), but it works easily as well as anything at this price and the extra features for the level are comprehensive. It's possible to connect the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro to two devices simultaneously, and the touch controls cover every function you'll want – including volume alterations via a long press of either bud, as long as you tailor it in the app and are prepared to forego the option to scroll between noise cancellation profiles. 

The only fly in the ointment is battery life, which is a claimed five hours of continuous playtime with ANC on (or eight without it) and up to 18 hours in the cradle. This is acceptable rather than class-leading and we had hoped for a little extra stamina. 

Ultimately though, we find ourselves shaking our heads at the improved sound quality. The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro support Bluetooth 5.3 – and LE Audio "will be eventually supported" by the end of the year, according to Samsung. All of this bodes well for the future, because it means Auracast audio sharing might soon be on the cards.

We're willing to wager that the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro's sound and design will suit practically every ear. The sound quality also now falls in line with Samsung's great reputation in other arenas. Bravo Sammers!

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro on white background

Samsung's clearly worked hard on this shape – and it has paid dividends (Image credit: TechRadar)

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro review: price and release date

  • $229 / £219 / AU$349 
  • Announced August 10, available in stores from August 26

Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro on August 10, as part of its Unpacked event where the tech giant also announced the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4, its Galaxy Watch 5, and Watch 5 Pro.

The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro cost $229 / £219 / AU$349 and are available in three colorways: Graphite, White, and Bora Purple. 

To put that pricing into perspective, it's a middle ground between the Apple AirPods Pro, which came with a launch price of $249 / £249 / AU$399, and the AirPods 3, which cost $179 / £169 / AU$279 – but remember, those cheaper 'Pods don't feature any active noise cancellation. 

You can bag the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro on pre-order now, and the Buds 2 Pro will land in stores on August 26.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro showing USB-C port on colorful background

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro sport a USB-C charger, but there's also wireless charging support (Image credit: TechRadar)

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro review: design and features

  • Small, comfortable earphones
  • IPX7 waterproof earbuds
  • 5 hours of playtime with ANC on; up to 18 hrs in the case

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are refreshingly smaller and lighter than most competing options – and Samsung was right to shave a little off the design. The result is a stylish, minimalist, secure and ergonomic fit that almost feels as if you're not wearing earbuds. 

Across the course of our listening, we experienced zero fall-out anxiety, even with our small ears and without switching from the pre-fitted medium eartips (although you also get small and large tip sets in the box). We found the earpieces never budged, even when breaking into a sprint for the train en route to work, which is unusual. 

The rounded top surface of the earbuds had us a little worried that the touch controls might be somewhat hit-and-miss. We were wrong to doubt them – the Buds 2 Pro's on-ear touch capacitive controls are very good indeed. They're easy to tap, registering your touch with little reassuring beeps, to the point that we found ourselves rarely needing to dig out our phone during our commute thanks to their efficacy. 

USB-C and wireless charging is supported here as expected. The earbuds themselves boast an unusual IPX7 waterproof rating however, which will keep them safe even if submerged in freshwater up to a depth of one meter for up to 30 minutes, but take note – the case is not water resistant at all. 

Wearer detection works, voice detect works, dual connectivity works, the Find My Earbuds feature works and ANC nixes noise without adversely coloring your music – everything does as claimed without fuss or dropouts. And if it sounds de riguer for a product's claimed features to come good under intense review, know that it isn't always the case. 

On the subject of cases, this one is small and easily pocketable, with strong magnets to keep it shut, a solo LED light on the front and a finish that resolutely refuses to collect fingerprint smudges. 

Until you come to that slightly underwhelming battery life of five hours from the buds with ANC on, we've got nothing but good things to say about the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro's design and feature set. 

  • Design and features score: 4.5/5

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro and a phone showing the Samsung Wearable app

Simply toggle on 360 Audio with head-tracking in the app on your Samsung device and you're away (Image credit: TechRadar)

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro review: sound quality

  • 2-way speaker design (woofer and tweeter) 
  • Impressive and detailed 24-bit audio 
  • ANC is seriously good for the level 

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro sport a two-way driver design, with a 10mm woofer and 5.4mm tweeter in each earbud. It's a formidable improvement on Samsung's previous earbud releases too, with YoDogg and Cardo's NIP (streamed in 360 reality audio, on Tidal) sounding atmospheric and foreboding while snaking from one ear to the other in a talented display of immersive audio. 

On the subject of head-tracked Dolby Atmos content, it's a subtler performance than LG's Tone Free T90 when it comes to serving up audio betwixt each ear as you turn your head, but it is fun and effective nevertheless – and make no mistake, the sound is expansive and realistic throughout. 

Sheryl Crow's Soak Up the Sun has us nodding our heads happily as we seek out backing vocals other earbuds can't deliver as cleanly or with as much space around each singer. Here, they are showcased pleasingly against a backdrop of keys in our right ear and guitars in our left. 

DJ Snake's reggaeton romp Taki Taki is nothing short of zealous as whirring synths jump across the soundstage and drums crash in centrally and unapologetically. The soundstage is wide for a set of in-ear headphones and, as our playlist continues to Daddy Yankee and Snow's Con Calma, we realize it's the most energetic and agile performance of the track we've heard in some time through the grippy bassline. 

Samsung's Galaxy Buds 2 Pro include Bluetooth 5.3 and high-quality 24-bit music support, when used with compatible Samsung devices, thanks to the new 'Samsung Seamless Codec'. Although we still don't have full details on exactly what this codec can do, Samsung's slightly older (but still very talented) Scalable Codec is capable of handling 24-bit/96kHz audio streaming, with bitrates of up to 512kbps, so that's the likely minimum support we're talking about here – and regardless of the numbers, the resulting performance is impressive, with high-frequency treble instruments coming through with clarity and nuance, alongside a rock-solid midrange and expressive, impactful low end. 

When it comes to noise cancellation, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro delivered the goods and then some. When using the Buds 2 Pro for the first time with ANC on, we had to check that the AC unit we were sitting next to was still in fact working. With 3 high SNR (Signal-to-Noise Ratio) microphones, Samsung claims the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro can track and eliminate more outside sound than any Galaxy Buds that have gone before it – even soft sounds like wind – and we'd agree with the claim. 

The Sony WF-1000XM4 are beaten initially for ANC by the Galaxy product, but these and the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds can still lay claim to the being the best noise-cancelling earbuds on the market owing to their more tailored experience – although now, it's a far more closely run race. 

  • Sound quality and noise cancellation score: 4.5/5

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro on white background

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are a bijou and retiring proposition (Image credit: TechRadar)

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro review: value

  • Cheaper than AirPods Pro, dearer than AirPods 3
  • Recommended for Samsung Galaxy device owners

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro squeeze an incredible amount into their bijou design for mid-range money. OK, you might still wish for ANC you can tweak in increments on a slider in the app, but forgive this and it's hard to quibble with the sound-per-pound value. 

The sound quality is unexpectedly good given Samsung's middling track record, and although we had hoped for a little more stamina for those longer listening sessions, there's an awful lot to like here. 

  • Value score: 4.5/5

Should I buy the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro?

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Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro review: Also consider

Think the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro might not be the true wireless earbuds for you? That's no biggie. Here are three alternatives that could offer just the design, feature-set and sound quality you're looking for. 

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