Read through our Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro review and you’ll see we were very impressed by the wireless earbuds. They launched back in August 2022, though, and we’re still waiting for a new pair of Pro buds to come along and replace them.
Samsung hasn’t made anything official yet, but here we’re going to collect all the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro leaks and rumors we’ve heard so far – as well as offer some opinions on the upgrades that Samsung should be thinking about.
If you simply can’t wait any longer, then head to our guide to the best wireless earbuds and see if there’s anything there that appeals. Based on how good the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro were, though, it might well be worth hanging on for their successors.
Galaxy Buds 3 Pro: rumored release date
As you’ve read above, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro broke cover in August 2022 – so we were expecting the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro at the July 2023 Unpacked event. However, for whatever reason, they didn’t show up.
Considering that the original Galaxy Buds Pro launched in January 2021, perhaps a gap of 18 months between versions is more realistic. That would put the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro launch date somewhere early in 2024.
What’s more, the only real leak we’ve heard so far suggests that the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro will indeed launch at some point in 2024, though the source doesn’t point to any specific time during those 12 months, so the waiting continues.
Galaxy Buds 3 Pro: expected price
So far we haven’t heard anything about the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro price, but we can look back at the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro: at launch, they would have set you back $229 / £219 / AU$349, so that gives you an idea of the price point we’re talking about.
Other bits of price data to consider: the more basic Galaxy Buds 2 from 2021 cost $150 / £140 / AU$219, while the Galaxy Buds FE launched in 2023 cost $99 / £99 / AU$199. The Pro buds are clearly the premium ones in terms of price and features.
We wouldn’t expect the price of the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro to dip below the level set by their predecessors: $229 / £219 / AU$349. Given the inflation we’ve seen in manufacturing and materials too, the new earbuds might end up costing a bit more.
Galaxy Buds 3 Pro: what we want to see
Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro rumors and leaks are pretty thin on the ground at the moment – perhaps we’ll hear more about them in 2024. That goes for the standard Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 too, by the way – we’ve barely heard a peep about them either.
While we’re waiting for more from the rumor mill, we do have a few ideas about how Samsung could improve on the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro wireless earbuds, which are admittedly already very impressive.
1. More interesting colors
Wireless earbuds are about more than the music these days: they’re fashion statements as well. The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro had the vaguely interesting bora purple color alongside the rather standard black and white options, but we think that the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro can do better. Samsung’s phones are colorful enough, so why not its wireless earbuds as well?
2. Better battery life
Of course, the perennial request with any new pair of wireless earbuds: better battery life. With active noise cancelling on, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro only manage five hours between charges, which isn’t great, although that goes up to 18 hours with the case. Let’s hope Samsung can work some technological magic and extend that time further.
3. Improved AI
You can talk to Bixby through the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, but we think Samsung can do better than that, especially in the ChatGPT era.
We’ve heard rumors that the Samsung Galaxy S24 will be packed with AI features, so we’re hoping that spills over to the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro next year – giving you a truly smart and capable AI assistant built right into your earbuds.
4. The same price
We don’t mind paying for quality, and we understand that getting the best technology working in such a small space is an expensive matter – but that said, we hope that Samsung manages to keep the price of the Galaxy Buds Pro series around the $229 / £219 / AU$349 mark. For comparison, you’ll pay $249 / £249 / AU$399 for the AirPods Pro 2.
5. Customizable noise cancelling
Better audio is always a given when it comes to a wishlist for new wireless earbuds, but we’re going to mention it. In particular, we’d like to see a bit more granularity in terms of the active noise cancelling on the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro – perhaps a selection of modes, as is the case with some rivals (see our Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 review for details).
