Looking for a new pair of earbuds that don’t cost an arm or a leg?
The AirPods and the Galaxy Buds Live are some excellent earbuds. Check out which one is better in this AirPods vs Galaxy Buds Live comparison.
Apple AirPods have been some of the most popular earbuds. They have revolutionized the market and pushed innovation. This has resulted in competition and brands like Samsung have come up with excellent earbuds with some cool designs and features.1
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The AirPods (2nd Generation) have been one of my favorite budget earbuds since their launch. They offer good sound quality along with premium design and top-notch Compatibility with Apple products.
The Samsung Galaxy Buds Live are poised to take over the same price range with comfortable design, good sound quality along with ANC which makes it a better deal on paper. Let’s see if this translates to real-world performance in this AirPods vs Galaxy Buds Live comparison.
AirPods vs Galaxy Buds Live
Design, Build, and Comfort
Design is an area where both earbuds have taken a different approach. The Samsung Galaxy Buds Live are one of the most unique earbuds when it comes to design. With a bean-like shape, the Galaxy Buds Live is designed to offer a comfortable wearing experience.
The Apple AirPods (2nd Generation) on the other hand, has a simple design that is boring nowadays. While Apple has refreshed the design with the new AirPods (3rd Generation) this comparison is between the AirPods 2 and the Galaxy Buds Live as they both are closer in price.
The Galaxy Buds Lve are much smaller and fit most ears well. While the AirPods 2 are larger, they fit most ears well. I am not a fan of the glossy finish on the Galaxy Buds Live, but overall I am impressed at their size.
Case designs for both earbuds are simple. The AirPods 2 features a slimmer and rectangular case with a glossy finish which I’m not a fan of. Luckily it is white, so scratches are not easily visible.
Samsung on the other hand has used a more squared-off case for the Galaxy Buds Live that is thicker. The shiny metallic finish gives it a premium look, which I prefer.
So, if case design is important for you then, the Galaxy Buds Live looks better but AirPods 2’s case is slightly better practically.
Comfort-wise, both earbuds are decent with nothing exceptional. I feel that the Galaxy Buds Live size is an advantage here for comfort, while the AirPods 2’s stem makes it more convenient for putting in and taking it out.
And finally, when it comes to build quality, both earbuds are even. They are made of high-quality materials but both lack IP ratings which means they are not recommended for workouts or rainy days.
Overall, I prefer the Galaxy Buds Live for its unique design and better fit. Though there’s not much wrong with the AirPods 2’s design either.
Sound Quality
Both earbuds are entry-level options from each brand. The Apple AirPods aim for a more natural-sounding experience while Samsung has put more emphasis on bass. Here’s how they compare for sound.
Both earbuds offer decent sound quality for the price with nothing spectacular. The AirPods 2 offers a slightly wider soundstage and better treble. While the Galaxy Buds Live is much better at bass offering a more complete experience.
The Galaxy Buds Live are also better for commuting, sports, and noisy environments like offices thanks to a better seal and the option to use Active Noise Cancellation (ANC).
The noise isolation and better fit make the Galaxy Buds Live the better option if you want earbuds that offer a complete experience at this price range.
One area where the AirPods does better is calls as they are clearer than Galaxy Buds Live. But for sound quality, the Galaxy Buds Live is the better option and by a significant margin.
Connectivity and Compatibility
Connectivity and Compatibility should be an easy win for Samsung Galaxy Buds Live given how restrictive Apple is when it comes to compatibility across different platforms right? While Galaxy Buds Live does offer better compatibility, Apple has improved in this area.
Both Galaxy Buds Live and AirPods 2 feature Bluetooth 5.0 offering good, stable connectivity. One thing to note is that, the Galaxy Buds Live has significantly lower latency compared to the AirPods, this can affect gaming performance, so keep that in mind.
The Galaxy Buds Live can work with Android phones that are running Android 5.0 or later, which is pretty impressive. They can also connect with iPhone 7 and later models.
AirPods 2 on the other hand is compatible with iPhone 5s and later, along with other Apple Products like MacBooks, iPads, and more. While you can connect AirPods 2 to Android phones, you won’t get all the features like Quick Connect and Siri.
Overall, Samsung wins for compatibility, while both earbuds are on par for connectivity. Get the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live if you have Android phones, but if you are an iPhone owner then the AirPods 2 makes more sense.
Features
When it comes to features, the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live is an easy winner as it offers Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). 1
The AirPods 2 is as basic as it gets. The only features it offers are a quick seamless connection to Apple devices and Siri support. While these are good, the Galaxy Buds Live can connect to Samsung smartphones in an instant and they have Bixby support, though Siri is superior in this regard.
Apart from this Samsung offers ANC on the Galaxy Buds Live which is rated to reduce background noise up to 97%. This makes the Galaxy Buds Live much better for outdoor use.
The addition of ANC on the Galaxy Buds Live makes it a no-brainer to choose over the AirPods 2 at least when it comes to features.
App and Controls
Samsung offers the Samsung Wearable app which lets you control the Galaxy Buds Live. This app is available on Android and iOS and lets you change Sound Presets, enable or disable ANC, display battery life, and change Touch Controls.
Apple has no app for the Airpods 2, you can only check the battery life of the AirPods and the case from your iPhone. There are no sound presets either so you can’t adjust sound profiles.
Both earbuds have good simple controls and Samsung even allows you to customize them using the app. So, Samsung Galaxy Buds Live is better in this regard. Both the app and customizable controls are good features.
Battery
The battery is a simple comparison between the two earbuds. For the earbuds themselves, the Galaxy Buds Live are better as they offer 6 hours of playback time, while the AirPods 2 can play music continuously for 5 hours.
When considering the total battery life including the case, AirPods 2 wins here as it offers 24 hours of battery life from the case, while Samsung can do only 21 hours.
The Apple AirPods 2 can also charge faster taking only 30 mins while the Galaxy Buds Live takes 60 mins. These charging times are for the case.
The earbuds alone have fast charging technology too, the Galaxy Buds Live offers 1-hour additional playback with just 5 minutes of charge while the AirPods offer 3 hours of extra playback after just 15 minutes inside the case.
So when it comes to battery life and charging technology, the Apple AirPods 2 are better than the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live. But Samsung has one ace up its sleeve, the included charging case for the Galaxy Buds Live supports wireless charging, while you have to fork out extra if you want the same for AirPod 2.
Conclusion
From the comparison, you can see that the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live is almost better in every way compared to the AirPods 2.
The Galaxy Buds Live has a unique design that is surprisingly comfortable. The Galaxy Buds Live also produces better sound compared to the AirPods 2 especially when it comes to bass reproduction. Galaxy Buds Live is also compatible with more devices and has lower latency.
Even in the features department, the inclusion of ANC on the Galaxy Buds Live makes the AirPods look basic. Samsung also provides an app that allows for more control over your earbuds while Apple doesn’t.
It almost seems like a bloodbath but AirPods 2 have some advantages too, and these are better call/mic quality, better overall battery life, and charging technology. Siri is better compared to Bixby, and AirPods have better connectivity with Apple devices compared to Galaxy Buds Live.
If all this wasn’t enough, then wait till you hear about the price. The Galaxy Buds Live is cheaper at $95 than the AirPods 2’s $109 price tag making it the better buy. So, I would recommend the Galaxy Buds Live over the AirPods unless you want to be in the Apple ecosystem.
The Galaxy Buds Live is the better product out of the two and it costs less than the AirPods 2. The AirPods 2 is not bad, it’s just that the Galaxy Buds Live are better.
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A hardcore Apple fan with a collection of
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One Macbook Pro
One iPhone 13 Pro, one iPhone XR, one iPhone 7