I have Galaxy Buds and I'm looking at the Galaxy Buds FE
Only the differences are shown. 3 specs stay the same.
+0you gain
−0you give up
Galaxy Buds came out in March 2019. Galaxy Buds FE came out in October 2023, almost 5 years later.
Note on Galaxy Buds: Available March 8, 2019 in the US.
Note on Galaxy Buds FE: Announced October 3, 2023; available October 10, 2023 on Samsung.com.
Noise control
ANC
Before: Not stated by Samsung
Audio
Bluetooth 5.0 → 5.2
1-way, Codecs: SSC, AAC, SBC, Microphones: 3 per earbud
Battery & charging
Same rating
6 h → 6 h music playback, measured differently
Design & durability
39.6 g → 40 g case
In-ear with wing tip, Controls: Touch, Proximity, Hall, touch
Price check
Galaxy Buds FE launched at $99.99
Phone & features1 change · 2 unconfirmed
Phone needed
Android 5.0 or later, RAM 1.5GB or above›Not stated by Samsung
What does this mean?
The phones Samsung says the earbuds work with, in its own words: usually an Android phone with more than 1.5GB of memory.
Samsung notes that some features may not be available on phones made by other companies.
Matters most if: Your phone is not a Samsung Galaxy.
With an iPhone
Bluetooth only (the iOS app doesn't support SM-R170)›Bluetooth only
What does this mean?
Samsung says Galaxy Buds connect to an iPhone (iPhone 5 or later with iOS 9 or later) by Bluetooth only; iPad and iPod touch are not supported. Only Galaxy Buds+ and Galaxy Buds Live had a Galaxy Buds app for iPhone.
You can listen to music and take calls, but features that need Samsung's app or a Galaxy phone are not there.
Matters most if: You use an iPhone.
Auto Switch
Not stated by Samsung›Yes (Galaxy devices)
What does this mean?
Samsung's Auto Switch moves the earbuds' connection between your Samsung Galaxy devices, for example from your tablet to your phone when a call comes in.
It works only between Galaxy devices: Samsung names Galaxy phones and tablets with One UI 3.1 or later, and Galaxy Watch4 or later.
App
Galaxy Wearable (same on both)
What does this mean?
The app Samsung names for the earbuds' settings, usually Galaxy Wearable on Android.
On newer Galaxy phones the settings are built into the phone, so the app is not needed there.
Galaxy AI
Not stated by Samsung (for both)
What does this mean?
The Galaxy AI features Samsung names for the earbuds, such as Interpreter, Live Translate or talking to an AI assistant.
Samsung says these need a compatible Samsung Galaxy phone.
Matters most if: You have a recent Galaxy phone and want translation or voice assistants in your ears.
Price1 change
Price check
Galaxy Buds FE — launched at $99.99
What your Galaxy Buds sells for
- Sold listings on eBay
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Links open in a new tab. Prices are set by each seller and change daily.
Starting price
$129.99›$99.99−$30
Noise control1 unconfirmed
Active noise canceling (ANC)
Not stated by Samsung›ANC
What does this mean?
Active noise canceling (ANC) uses microphones to cancel steady background noise, such as an airplane engine. Adaptive ANC changes the level to suit the sound around you.
Samsung gives battery times with ANC on and off: with it on, the battery runs down sooner.
Matters most if: You commute, fly or work somewhere noisy.
Ambient sound
Not stated by Samsung (for both)
What does this mean?
Ambient sound lets outside sound in through the microphones, so you can hear people and traffic without taking the earbuds out.
Useful for a quick chat, an announcement or walking along a busy road.
Voice Detect
Not stated by Samsung (for both)
What does this mean?
Voice Detect lowers your music and lets outside sound in when you start talking. Siren Detect does the same when the earbuds pick up a siren.
You can answer someone without touching the earbuds.
Audio4 changes
Speakers
5.8mm dynamic driver; sound by AKG›1-way
What does this mean?
The speakers in each earbud, as Samsung describes them. "1-way" is one speaker; "2-way" adds a small tweeter for high notes next to the woofer for low notes.
Speaker size alone does not tell you how the earbuds sound: fit and tuning matter as much.
Codecs
SBC, AAC, Scalable›SSC (Samsung Scalable Codec), AAC, SBC
What does this mean?
The ways sound is compressed to travel over Bluetooth. SBC and AAC work with most phones; Samsung's SSC codecs only with Samsung Galaxy devices; LC3 is the codec of Bluetooth LE Audio.
The phone and the earbuds use a codec they both support, so the list matters most with a Galaxy phone.
Bluetooth
5.0›5.2
Microphones
Adaptive dual microphone›3 per earbud (2 outer, 1 inner)
360 Audio
Not stated by Samsung (for both)
What does this mean?
Samsung's 360 Audio places sound around you, as in a cinema; with head tracking it stays in place when you turn your head.
Samsung says it needs a Samsung Galaxy phone or tablet with One UI 3.1 or later, and video or music made for it.
Matters most if: You watch films on a Galaxy phone or tablet.
Hi-Fi audio
Not stated by Samsung (for both)
What does this mean?
Samsung's higher-resolution sound over Bluetooth: 24-bit Hi-Fi, and SSC UHQ up to 24-bit/96kHz on newer models.
It works only with the Galaxy phones and tablets Samsung lists, and only with music files of that quality.
LE Audio
Not stated by Samsung (for both)
What does this mean?
Bluetooth LE Audio, the newer kind of Bluetooth sound, with the LC3 codec, and Auracast, which lets one device send sound to many listeners.
Samsung notes it depends on the phone or other device you pair with.
Battery & charging5 changes · 1 unconfirmed · 2 not applicable
Music playback
6 hours›6 hours
Samsung gives Galaxy Buds's time on a model without ANC and Galaxy Buds FE's time with ANC on, so the two were not measured the same way.
What does this mean?
How long the earbuds play music on one charge, from Samsung's internal testing. For models with ANC, Samsung's time is with ANC on.
Volume, codec and features such as 360 Audio change the time you actually get.
Music playback with the case
13 hours›21 hours
Samsung gives Galaxy Buds's time on a model without ANC and Galaxy Buds FE's time with ANC on, so the two were not measured the same way.
What does this mean?
The total music time including the recharges the case gives, from Samsung's internal testing.
Put the earbuds back in the case during breaks and they recharge.
Music playback, ANC off
Not applicable›8.5 hours
Samsung's test conditions: internal testing.
Music playback, ANC off, with the case
Not applicable›30 hours
Samsung's test conditions: internal testing.
Talk time
5 hours›3.5 hours
Samsung gives Galaxy Buds's time on a model without ANC and Galaxy Buds FE's time with ANC on, so the two were not measured the same way.
What does this mean?
How long you can talk on calls on one charge, from Samsung's internal testing.
Calls use the microphones as well, so talk time is shorter than music time.
Talk time with the case
11 hours›13 hours
Samsung gives Galaxy Buds's time on a model without ANC and Galaxy Buds FE's time with ANC on, so the two were not measured the same way.
Battery capacity, each earbud
58 mAh›60 mAh
What does this mean?
The typical capacity of each earbud's battery, in mAh. On newer models Samsung also gives a lower rated capacity, shown under the row.
Capacity alone does not give the hours: the chip and features matter too. The battery life rows are the better guide.
Battery capacity, case
252 mAh›479 mAh
Charging
USB-C›Not stated by Samsung
Design & durability7 changes · 1 unconfirmed
Fit and design
In-ear›In-ear with wing tip
Controls
Touch›Touch (touch and hold for ANC)
Sensors
Accelerometer, proximity, Hall, touch›Proximity, Hall, touch
Water resistance
Not stated by Samsung›IPX2 (splash resistant)
What does this mean?
How well the earbuds resist sweat and water, as an IP rating in Samsung's words. The second figure is for water: IPX2 is dripping water, IP54 splashes from any direction, IP57 and IPX7 a short dip in water.
Samsung's rating covers the earbuds, not the case.
Matters most if: You exercise with them or use them in the rain.
Weight, case
39.6 g›40 g+0.4 g
Size, each earbud
17.5 x 19.2 x 22.3 mm›17.1 x 19.2 x 22.2 mm
Size, case
38.8 x 70 x 26.5 mm›50.0 x 27.7 x 50.0 mm
Colors
Black, White›Graphite, White
Weight, each earbud
5.6 g (same on both)
What's new
RSS feedAdded AirPods vs Galaxy Buds
Compare any AirPods with any Samsung Galaxy Buds, on the AirPods and Galaxy Buds tabs or on the new AirPods vs Galaxy Buds pages. The first row says which phone each works with. Features that need one maker's phone are listed as works best with Galaxy (such as 360 Audio, SSC UHQ, Auto Switch and Interpreter) or works best with iPhone (such as Personalized Spatial Audio and the hearing features), without a gain or a loss. Codecs, battery hours, battery capacity (Apple does not publish it) and water ratings are shown side by side in each maker's own words. Popular comparisons: AirPods Pro 3 vs Galaxy Buds4 Pro and AirPods 5 vs Galaxy Buds4.
Added Samsung Galaxy Buds
Samsung Galaxy Buds from 2019 to 2026 (Galaxy Buds4 Pro, Buds4, Buds3 Pro, Buds3, Buds3 FE, Buds FE, Buds Core, Buds2 Pro, Buds Pro, Buds+ and the first Galaxy Buds), from Samsung's own pages only: a page for each model, comparisons, a Galaxy Buds tab on the home page and a menu item. Battery life is Samsung's internal testing, with ANC on for models that have it, and battery capacity is the typical figure with the rated one in a note. Each spec page says which phones the earbuds work with and which features need a Galaxy phone. Galaxy Buds2, Galaxy Buds Live and Gear IconX are on the timeline only, and Galaxy Buds On is on it as announced. The glossary adds SSC, Auracast, LC3 and Adaptive ANC, and Find my model has the Galaxy Buds model numbers Samsung's pages confirm.
Added eSIM guide
A new eSIM guide covers moving an eSIM to a new iPhone, Pixel or Galaxy, removing it before you sell or trade in, and setting one up on a used or foreign phone, in Apple's, Google's and Samsung's own steps with a link to each (a carrier's page where the makers have none). It also shows how many eSIMs each phone holds, which phones take eSIM only, and what to do if a transfer fails. The glossary adds Dual SIM, DSDS and Dual eSIM, and Buying used now lists iPhone 17e and iPhone Duo as eSIM only. The guide never asks for your EID, IMEI or phone number.