Is the Samsung Galaxy Buds2 worth the upgrade from the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 5?
Verdict
Downgrade
The Samsung Galaxy Buds2 actually scores 13.0 points below the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 5, so on aggregate review consensus this is a step backwards. The gains are concentrated in value (5.0 to 7.0), calls (6.0 to 7.5) and battery (6.0 to 7.0). On paper: full charge time 90 min to 60 min. Worth checking: battery life goes 9 h to 7.5 h and bluetooth goes 6.0 to 5.2. One caution: this steps down a line tier (FreeBuds Pro 5 to Galaxy Buds2), and base models usually trade away tier features - check the codec and ANC rows above before trusting the score gap alone. It is at least $90 cheaper, so the lower score comes with a saving. Only worth it if a specific feature above matters more to you than overall quality does.
What actually changes
Sub-scores both products have, on the same 0-10 scale. Bars extend right for a gain, left for a loss.
- Sound7.07.5
- Noise cancelling7.07.0
- Battery6.07.0
- Calls6.07.5
- Value5.07.0
Spec differences
Only where the two genuinely differ - everything they share is omitted.
| Spec | FreeBuds Pro 5 | Galaxy Buds2 | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 9 h | 7.5 h | |
| Codecs | SBC, AAC, LDAC, L2HC 4.0 | SBC, AAC, Samsung Scalable Codec | |
| Bluetooth | 6.0 | 5.2 | |
| Multipoint pairing | Yes | No | |
| Water resistance | IP57 | IPX2 | |
| Battery life (ANC on) | 6 h | 5 h | |
| Battery incl. case | 38 h | 29 h | |
| Full charge time | 90 min | 60 min | |
| Drivers per side | 2 | 1 | |
| Microphones | 6 | 3 | |
| ANC type | adaptive | hybrid | |
| Quick charge | 3 min = ~1 h | 5 min = 1 h | |
| Driver | hybrid | two-way dynamic speakers | |
| Frequency response | 10 Hz - 48 kHz | 20 Hz - 20 kHz |
About this verdict
Direction matters here: this page answers "FreeBuds Pro 5 to Galaxy Buds2". The other direction is a separate question with a different answer. Scores blend published review verdicts across true wireless and shift as new reviews land, so a marginal call today may not be one next quarter.