These Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Are Now Under $80
Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 3 will be $79.99 on Woot (down from $119.99) for the next five days or until they sell out. If you’re a Prime member, you also get free shipping; otherwise it will cost you an extra $6 (but be warned: they will not ship to Alaska, Hawaii or any post office boxes).
These AirPod-like headphones have triangular legs that are said to make fit and touch controls easier. You can pinch the front of the stem to control playback and ANC, while swiping the back allows you to change the volume. The controls are mirrored on both sides, although customization options are limited—you can set a pinch-and-hold gesture to toggle ANC, activate Samsung’s Bixby voice assistant, or enable the AI-based translator feature via the Samsung Wear app, but that’s about it.
Each earbud has a single 11mm dynamic driver, so the sound quality should be adequate for everyday listening, but if you’re looking for audiophile-grade quality, you may be missing out on the Galaxy Buds 3, PCMag’s review notes. They support Bluetooth 5.3 and AAC, SBC and Samsung Scalable (SSC) codecs, but the latter only works on Samsung phones. If you have an iPhone or other non-Samsung Android device, you’ll only have to use AAC or SBC codecs, and you’ll miss out on some AI features like live translation in conversation. You can still connect them via Bluetooth, but the Samsung Wear app won’t give you full functionality (like adjusting EQ settings, switching ANC, etc.). If you need LDAC support for higher quality streaming, you might want to try the Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC ($99.99) instead.
The Buds 3 come with Woot’s 90-day limited warranty and are IP57 rated, meaning they can withstand sweat and rain, making them a decent workout option. They also support Google Fast Pair and automatic switching between Samsung devices (although multipoint is not included). However, their battery life isn’t great – five hours per charge with ANC enabled (or six without), plus an additional 19 hours from the case. You can charge them via USB-C or wirelessly.