
Huawei FreeBuds Pro 5 vs Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro: which should you buy?
On aggregated review scores the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 5 comes out ahead with a HearWiki score of 82. The full breakdown - sub-scores, specs and what reviewers actually said - is below.
Score breakdown
Each axis is a 0–10 blend of what reviewers scored, not a lab measurement.
Huawei FreeBuds Pro 5 leads on 7 of 7 measures.
- Huawei FreeBuds Pro 5
- Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro
Generation & platform
The scores rank quality. This is the other question: is the newer one actually newer technology, or the same platform in a new shell?
Huawei FreeBuds Pro 5 (2026) against Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro (2024). The Huawei FreeBuds Pro 5 is the newer platform here: Bluetooth 6.0 against 5.4 and Top codec LDAC against AAC.
- FreeBuds Pro 520262 yr newer
- Galaxy Buds3 Pro2024
- Bluetooth
- 6.0
- 5.4
- Top codec
- LDAC
- AAC
Platform
Level on: Multipoint pairing, Wireless charging, USB-C, Wear detection, Transparency mode, Custom EQ, Companion app, Water resistance.
Specifications
- Type
- True Wireless
- True Wireless
- Price (USD)
- $200
- $250
- HearWiki score
- 82
- 73
- Released
- 2026
- 2024
- Availability
- Sold new
- Still sold new
- Driver
- 2-driver hybrid
- 10.5 mm driver
- Driver type
- hybrid
- -
- Driver size
- 11 mm
- 10.5 mm
- Drivers per side
- 2
- 1
- Frequency response
- 10 Hz - 48 kHz
- 20 Hz - 20 kHz
- Impedance
- -
- 32 Ω
- Sensitivity
- -
- 92 dB/mW
- Bluetooth
- 6.0
- 5.4
- Codecs
- LDAC
- SBC, AAC, Samsung Scalable
- Multipoint pairing
- Yes
- Yes
- Wireless range
- 12 m
- -
- Battery life
- 9 h
- 7 h
- Battery life (ANC on)
- 5 h
- 6 h
- Battery incl. case
- 33 h
- 30 h
- Full charge time
- 40 min
- -
- Quick charge
- 3 min → 1 h
- 5 min → 1 h
- Wireless charging
- Yes
- Yes
- Active noise cancelling
- Yes
- Yes
- ANC type
- -
- adaptive
- Transparency mode
- Yes
- Yes
- Companion app
- Yes
- Yes
- Custom EQ
- Yes
- Yes
- Wear detection
- Yes
- Yes
- Controls
- touch
- touch
- Voice assistant
- Yes
- Bixby
- Weight
- 5.5 g
- 5.4 g
- Case weight
- 43 g
- 46.5 g
- Water resistance
- IP57
- IP57
- Detachable cable
- No
- -
- USB-C
- Yes
- Yes
- Pad material
- silicone
- -
- Microphones
- 3
- 6
- Microphone type
- MEMS
- -
- Call noise reduction
- Yes
- Yes
What reviewers said
Huawei FreeBuds Pro 5
The Huawei FreeBuds Pro 5 are high-end wireless earbuds that combine strong active noise cancellation with robust IP57 water resistance. They deliver a long 9-hour playback per charge, extendable to 33 hours with the case, and support high-resolution audio via LDAC and L2HC codecs. With Bluetooth 6, multipoint connectivity, and a hybrid dual-driver setup, they aim for versatile, premium sound and seamless device switching.
- Pro:Excellent battery life of 9 hours per charge and 33 hours with the case
- Pro:IP57 water resistance makes them suitable for workouts and rain
- Pro:Supports high-quality LDAC and L2HC codecs for detailed audio
- Con:ANC reduces battery life to just 5 hours per charge
- Con:Relatively expensive at around $199
- Con:Touch controls may require a learning curve
Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro
The Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro are premium wireless earbuds with adaptive active noise cancellation, IP57 water resistance, and a comfortable in-ear fit. They feature Bluetooth 5.4 with multipoint support, a 10.5mm driver, and up to 7 hours of playback (6 with ANC) or 30 hours with the charging case. The earbuds also include touch controls, custom EQ, wireless charging, and a six-microphone setup for clear calls.
- Pro:Adaptive ANC with transparency mode
- Pro:IP57 water resistance
- Pro:Multipoint Bluetooth 5.4
- Con:Battery life drops to 6 hours with ANC on
- Con:No aptX or LDAC codec support
- Con:Sensitivity is relatively low at 92 dB/mW
Summaries are AI-condensed and paraphrased from published reviews and specs - not original hands-on testing. More on our method.
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