The successors to Samsung's best wireless earbuds yet are expected to arrive soon at Galaxy Unpacked 2024, and a new leak appears to have given us our first real look at the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro's sleek new charging case and so-called 'blade lights'.
A Reddit user named 'Plastic_Development1' shared the images (also picked up by reliable leaker Ice Universe, below) in a Reddit post, after claiming that they'd been able to purchase the earbuds. Those claims appear to have been backed up by some additional photos in the thread showing what they look like when worn.
The photos reveal the retail packaging for the new earbuds, charging case, and active noise-cancelling earbuds. They show the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro's silver (or gray) colorway, with the earbuds also expected to be available in white, which is fitting because their stem-based design is very similar to that of the Apple AirPods Pro 2.
What Apple's AirPods don't have is an LED strip running down the side like these Samsung rivals do, which is a detail we've seen in previous leaks of the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. It's still unclear exactly what those “blade lights” are for, though it seems likely they'll at least serve as a battery indicator.
An earlier leak revealed that the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro would have features like improved IP57 water and dust resistance, an auto-switching feature, and support for 24-bit 96KHz audio streaming (which may be restricted to Galaxy phones). The main difference between the standard Galaxy Buds 3 and the Pro version is expected to be that the latter have two drivers in each ear, instead of one, for better sound quality.
While this leak should be treated with the usual caution, Redditor 'Plastic_Development1' also shared some early thoughts on what we might expect from Samsung's new flagships…
How could they compare to the AirPods Pro?
There's a chance these leaked earbuds are a convincing fake, but they're also shown connecting to the Galaxy Wearable app, so it's possible they're a real look at Samsung's upcoming Buds 3 Pro.
In the Reddit thread, the leaker has given some first impressions in response to a few questions, including that the fit is similar to the AirPods Pro, but that “the longer stem will probably be a nuisance if you sleep with them.” He also claims that ambient mode, which allows you to hear outside noises, is better than the AirPods.
As for price, Reddit user 'Plastic_Development1' claims to have paid $250 (which works out to around £195 or AU$370) for the Buds 3 Pro. While this should be taken with a grain of salt, this seems like a rough estimate – the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro cost $229 or £219 or AU$349 at launch, with their successors expected to see a small price increase.
Opinions on the new design appear to be divided on the Galaxy Buds subreddit, with many claiming they're not big fans of the “fridge-style” metallic colour and that the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro's stems look too long. But this is all based solely on leaks – we'll get our first official look at the earbuds at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2024, which kicks off on July 10 at 9am ET / 6am PT / 2pm BST / 11pm AEST.
