Is the Huawei FreeBuds Neo worth the upgrade from the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro?
Verdict
Clear upgrade
Going from the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro to the Huawei FreeBuds Neo buys you 16.7 points of HearWiki score - a clear step up that reviewers agree on rather than a marketing refresh. The gains are concentrated in battery (4.6 to 8.0), noise cancelling (6.3 to 8.0) and calls (6.5 to 8.0). On paper: battery life 8 h to 10 h, battery life (anc on) 5 h to 6.5 h and battery incl. case 28 h to 40 h. One caution: this steps down a line tier (Galaxy Buds Pro to FreeBuds Neo), and base models usually trade away tier features - check the codec and ANC rows above before trusting the score gap alone. It's also $48 cheaper, which makes this an easy call. If your current pair is worn out or the gains line up with how you listen, this one is worth the money.
What actually changes
Sub-scores both products have, on the same 0-10 scale. Bars extend right for a gain, left for a loss.
- Sound7.78.0
- Noise cancelling6.38.0
- Battery4.68.0
- Calls6.58.0
Spec differences
Only where the two genuinely differ - everything they share is omitted.
| Spec | Galaxy Buds Pro | FreeBuds Neo | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 8 h | 10 h | |
| Codecs | SBC, AAC, Samsung Scalable | LDAC | |
| Water resistance | IPX7 | IP55 | |
| Battery life (ANC on) | 5 h | 6.5 h | |
| Battery incl. case | 28 h | 40 h | |
| Microphones | 3 | 4 | |
| Driver | 2-driver hybrid | dynamic | |
| Frequency response | 20 Hz - 20 kHz | 10 Hz - 48 kHz |
About this verdict
Direction matters here: this page answers "Galaxy Buds Pro to FreeBuds Neo". 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.