Is the Samsung Galaxy Buds2 worth the upgrade from the Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro?
Verdict
Downgrade
The Samsung Galaxy Buds2 actually scores 10.0 points below the Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro, so on aggregate review consensus this is a step backwards. The gains are concentrated in battery (6.5 to 7.0) and calls (7.0 to 7.5). You do give up ground on noise cancelling (8.0 to 7.0). On paper: case weight 46.5 g to 41.2 g. Worth checking: bluetooth goes 5.4 to 5.2 and multipoint pairing goes Yes to No. One caution: this steps down a line tier (Galaxy Buds3 Pro 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 $100 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.
- Sound7.57.5
- Noise cancelling8.07.0
- Battery6.57.0
- Calls7.07.5
- Value7.07.0
Spec differences
Only where the two genuinely differ - everything they share is omitted.
| Spec | Galaxy Buds3 Pro | Galaxy Buds2 | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Codecs | SBC, AAC, SSC, SSC-UHQ | SBC, AAC, Samsung Scalable Codec | |
| Bluetooth | 5.4 | 5.2 | |
| Multipoint pairing | Yes | No | |
| Water resistance | IP57 | IPX2 | |
| Battery life (ANC on) | 6 h | 5 h | |
| Microphones | 6 | 3 | |
| Case weight | 46.5 g | 41.2 g | |
| ANC type | adaptive | hybrid | |
| Call noise reduction | yes | 3 mics (2 outer + 1 inner) + Voice Pickup Unit | |
| Driver | 2-way speaker | two-way dynamic speakers |
About this verdict
Direction matters here: this page answers "Galaxy Buds3 Pro 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.