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The primary-party benefit is actual.
The obvious instance of why first-party merchandise are value contemplating is the AirPods lineup, led by the newest AirPods Pro 3. These headphones supply far more options when linked to an Apple machine than when linked to different gadgets.
However Apple is not the one one to benefit from its multi-device ecosystem. Samsung does it too, with its Galaxy Buds 3 Pro earbuds heading its audio lineup.
Additionally: The top 10 headphones readers bought in 2025 (don’t include Beats, Sony, or Bose)
However has one firm completed a greater job constructing out its characteristic set? Are one pair of earbuds really higher than the opposite, or does it simply depend upon the ecosystem of gadgets you select to make use of? I’ve used each the AirPods Professional 3 and the Galaxy Buds 3 Professional fairly extensively, and here is my take.
Specs
|
Apple AirPods Professional 3 |
Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Professional |
|
|
Battery life |
8 hours (as much as 24 hours with charging case) |
6 hours (as much as 20 hours with charging case) |
|
Audio modes |
ANC, Transparency Mode, Adaptive Audio |
ANC, Ambient Sound, Adaptive |
|
IP score |
IP57 (earbuds solely) |
IP57 (earbuds solely) |
|
Bluetooth model |
Bluetooth 5.3 |
Bluetooth 5.4 |
|
Further options |
Listening to assist mode, dwell translation, Automated Switching, Spatial Audio, coronary heart charge monitor |
Listening to enhancements, Interpreter, Auto change, 360 audio |
|
Worth |
You can purchase the AirPods Professional 3 if…
1. You are at present an Apple consumer
This one’s apparent — the AirPods Professional 3 work greatest with Apple merchandise. Technically, you possibly can pair the AirPods Professional 3 by way of Bluetooth to non-Apple gadgets, however you may have a fairly restricted expertise and will not be capable of use superior options like spatial audio, Discover My, and automated sporting detection.
Additionally: How to use Live Translation on your AirPods – not just the newest ones
With Apple merchandise, you should utilize automated switching to seamlessly hook up with an infinite variety of appropriate gadgets logged in to your iCloud account. It’s also possible to use spatial audio for a extra immersive listening expertise (I personally solely actually use it for films and TV exhibits). And, you may get entry to the brand new Dwell Translation characteristic, which might translate speech in different languages in real-time when the AirPods in your ears are linked to an iPhone.
2. You need health monitoring options
The AirPods Professional 3’s standout characteristic is the inclusion of an in-ear coronary heart charge monitor. This characteristic shifts the AirPods Professional from an audio-only machine to a mix of an audio machine and a well being tracker. The center charge monitor can be utilized for over 50 totally different exercise varieties, which you’ll be able to entry straight by the Apple Health app.
Additionally: AirPods Pro 3 fitness feature surprises triathlete tester – here’s what he found
The AirPods Professional 3 additionally work with the brand new Exercise Buddy characteristic, which analyzes your health knowledge utilizing AI, then gives customized motivation when you work out, in audio type, by your earbuds. That helps bridge the hole between well being trackers and precise trainers.
3. You need higher battery life
The Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Professional supply a strong battery life, promising six hours of steady listening with ANC enabled, and a complete of 20 hours with the charging case. The AirPods Professional 3, nonetheless, beat that. The earbuds supply eight hours of steady listening, which makes them a greater choice for a long-haul flight or an prolonged day within the workplace. With the charging case, they’re going to stand up to 24 hours, which once more, is an enchancment over the Galaxy Buds 3 Professional.
You can purchase the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Professional if…
1. You do not use Apple gadgets
Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Professional earbuds do not simply work effectively with Samsung gadgets — they work effectively with Android gadgets typically. On an Android cellphone, you possibly can obtain the Samsung Put on app to manage the earbuds. From there, you possibly can choose noise modes, change the EQ, and extra. There isn’t any Samsung Put on app for iOS.
Some options work greatest with Samsung telephones, although. For starters, your Samsung cellphone ought to instantly acknowledge the earbuds and pair with them once you open the lid.
Additionally: 7 reasons why I choose Android over iOS (and sideloading is not one of them)
On high of that, there are some AI-focused options, like an Interpreter app that may translate speech in different languages, much like the AirPods Professional 3’s new Dwell Translation characteristic. Different options work equally to these on Apple gadgets, together with an Auto Change characteristic in your Galaxy telephones and wearables, a listening to enhancement characteristic, and extra.
To entry the complete suite of options for the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Professional, you may want a Samsung cellphone. However, except you actually care about these super-specific options, you may have a superb expertise on any Android machine.
2. You wish to customise your listening expertise
Crucial consideration when shopping for earbuds is what cellphone you employ. You are not going to purchase AirPods when you have an Android cellphone or the Galaxy Buds 3 Professional when you have an iPhone. Nevertheless, different facets of those earbuds can considerably influence how you employ them. Notably, the Galaxy Buds 3 Professional supply extra audio customization than the AirPods Professional 3.
Additionally: Finally, a Samsung phone that I’d put my S25 Ultra away for (especially at this price)
Apple, in any case, thinks the AirPods already sound wonderful — why would you wish to change how they sound? Most different earbud producers take a extra customizable method, and with the Galaxy Buds 3 Professional, you may get a nine-band EQ, with bands starting from 63Hz to 16kHz. Along with the customized EQ, there are a number of presets out there to be used in the event you favor to not delve into the main points of audio tuning your self.
3. You need deeper, harder-hitting bass
The Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Professional aren’t simply extra customizable for audio; additionally they ship greater, deeper bass. That does not imply they sound higher, essentially. In actual fact, the bass on the AirPods Professional 3 is extra natural-sounding, which appeals extra to me personally. However in the event you’re a fan of huge bass — and there is definitely no disgrace in that — then the Galaxy Buds 3 Professional are the higher earbuds in your wants.
