Samsung Galaxy buds+ V Apple AirPods Pro: Which pair of wireless earbuds are actually worth your money? 

Battery life case: 11 hours
Wireless chargeable case? Yes
Available colours: Black, white, cloud blue
Weight per earbud: 6.1g
Weight earbuds plus case: 52.4g
Noise-cancelling? No

The latest in-ear headphones are the Samsung Galaxy Buds+. They look almost identical to last year’s Samsung Galaxy Buds, but though the design hasn’t noticeably changed, the smart technology inside has. When last year’s model launched, they didn’t sound great, though a quick bunch of updates sorted that out. Even so, they weren’t the best-sounding in-ears around.

This year, it’s all changed, with significantly improved audio quality, tuned by AKG, a hi-fi company now owned by Samsung. Now, there are dual drivers, that is a tweeter and a woofer, in each earbud, which improves things considerably. The tone is quite neutral and though it’s not as wide a soundstage as many over-ear headphones can deliver, it’s a pleasing result. I found I needed to turn them up higher than I expected to make them easily audible.

Three sets of ear tips are supplied so you can choose the best fit, and additionally, there’s the option to fit an ear hook to hold the Bud in place more securely. There’s no “stalk” as there is on AirPods, which may mean you prefer the smaller, less obtrusive design.

Set-up is straightforward, though not as seamless as it is for the AirPods with an Apple iPhone. Unlike last year’s model, the Buds+ come with a dedicated iPhone app so it works almost as well for Apple users as Samsung owners.

Tracks are navigated and volume adjusted using the touch-sensitive panels on the earbuds, which work well after an initial learning process. On Android phones, but not the iPhone, you can also activate Spotify with a long press on the earbud.

Additionally, if you use Galaxy Buds+ with a recent Galaxy phone, there’s an extra feature: you can seamlessly switch the headphones between a Galaxy phone and another Samsung gadget, without having to re-pair.

Wireless headphones also work for hands-free phone calls. The first Galaxy Buds suffered from poor microphones which made calls less than stellar, but this version sounds great, helped by an extra external microphone.

Battery life for continuous listening is very strong on the Galaxy Buds+ at 11 hours between charges. Another 11-hour charge is in the case. There’s also a fast-charge system where just three minutes of charging completely flat Buds can replenish them enough for an hour of listening. The case is wireless-chargeable, that is it works with compatible wireless charging pads or, for instance, the latest Samsung Galaxy S20 phones which have reverse wireless charging on board. You just put the case on the back of the phone to charge it. Wireless charging is slower than conventional cabled charging.

Battery life earbuds: 4 hours 30 minutes
Battery life case: 20 hours
Wireless chargeable case? Yes
Available colours: White
Weight per earbud: 5.4g
Weight earbuds plus case: 56.4g
Noise-cancelling? Yes

Apple’s AirPods have been a success story since day one, outselling demand consistently for years. The latest version, AirPods Pro, might have been expected to end this state of affairs as the new version is pricier than many rivals. But, no, the Pros continue to sell out.

Setup is extremely simple, for Apple device users: open the case, the iPhone or iPad, for instance, spots the Pros, and that’s it, they’re connected. It’s not as straightforward with Android users, but works find.

They are in every way stupendously better than the previous AirPods. First, there’s the fit. There are three sizes of silicone ear tips in the box, easily attached or swapped. You’re then encouraged to do what Apple calls the ear tip fit test: an app on the iPhone shows you how to do this. It then plays a short burst of music in your ears. Because there’s a microphone pointing inwards, it knows what it should hear in your ear and can tell if this means there’s a good fit or not. The app encourages you to try another tip or adjust the earbud to get a good seal – sometimes squeezing it into your ear can be enough to fix the issue.

The AirPods Pro earbuds have shorter stalks than regular AirPods and you can squeeze them to change tracks, adjust volume and so on. Or to turn noise-cancelling on or off.

Active noise-cancelling is the biggest upgrade on the Pro earbuds. That’s where a microphone listening to the outside world creates a noise that’s the opposite in phase. When this is fed in, the two noises cancel each other out, letting you hear the music with much less hindrance.

Active noise-cancelling is part science, part magic and when it’s done badly, it’s horrible. Luckily, Apple’s noise-cancelling is absolutely top notch. It is powerful enough to mostly quell the overpowering sounds of a jet engine but still remains subtle and not intrusive. There’s also a neat feature, “transparency mode”, which means you can have a conversation with someone while still wearing the AirPods Pro. Transparency mode reduces the volume of the music that’s playing and amplifies outside noises, including your own voice. Of course, it’s definitely more polite to remove your earbuds when you’re talking to someone. And if you remove one bud from your ears, the music pauses until you put it back.

Even without noise-cancelling turned on, the audio quality of AirPods Pro is spectacularly good, thanks to the seal provided by the ear tips. That fit is also good at keeping the earbuds in place.

When you’re switching from listening on your iPhone to your iPad or MacBook, say, then the software is smart enough to do that seamlessly.

You can call on the Siri virtual personal assistant just by saying, “Hey, Siri” – you don’t even need to touch the AirPods as was necessary on some earlier models. This is another way to change tracks or volume, with your voice, or to do other stuff.

Battery life is not as strong as on the Samsung Buds+ but more than adequate.