Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro / Apple AirPods (3rd generation)

Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro: Galaxy Buds3 Pro, model SM-R630; Silver and White colours. The open-type Galaxy Buds3 (SM-R530) and the earlier Buds2 Pro are separate models.

Apple AirPods (3rd generation): AirPods (3rd generation) launched in 2021 with the MagSafe Charging Case; from 2022 a version with the Lightning Charging Case was also sold. The earbuds are the same with either case. AirPods 4, AirPods 2 and AirPods Pro are separate models.

Specification	Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro	Apple AirPods (3rd generation)
Release year	2024	2021
Bluetooth and codecs	Bluetooth 5.4; LE Audio; AAC, SBC, SSC and SSC UHQ (up to 24 bit/96 kHz) SSC UHQ only works with the Galaxy S24, S23, Z Fold6, Z Flip6, Z Fold5, Z Flip5 and Tab S9 series on One UI 6.1.1 or later; other phones use AAC or SBC. Samsung	—
Profiles	A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, PBP, TMAP PBP and TMAP are broadcast and telephony/media profiles that come with LE Audio. Samsung	—
Driver	Two-way speaker: planar tweeter plus a separate woofer, dual amplifier Separate drivers for treble and bass let each focus on its own frequency range. Samsung	—
Noise control	Active noise cancellation; adaptive ANC; Ambient sound; Voice Detect; Siren Detect Siren Detect turns on ambient sound when a siren is heard nearby. Adaptive ANC and some AI features need a Samsung phone. Samsung	—
Microphones and sensors	6 microphones; accelerometer, gyro, hall, pressure, proximity, touch and voice pickup unit (VPU) sensors; Super Wide Band calls The VPU picks up bone vibration while you talk to help separate your voice from background noise. Samsung	—
Audio features	360 Audio; Adaptive EQ 360 Audio uses head tracking to keep sound fixed in space; it needs One UI 3.1 or later. Samsung	—
Battery	ANC on: 6 hours of music from the earbuds, 26 hours with the case; ANC off: 7 hours, 30 hours with the case; earbud 53 mAh, case 515 mAh Talk time is 4.5 / 20 hours with ANC on and 5 / 22 hours with it off. The case supports wireless charging. Samsung	Up to 6 hours of listening per charge (5 hours with Personalised Spatial Audio on); up to 30 hours with the case; 5 minutes in the case ≈ 1 hour of listening Apple
Water resistance	IP57 (earbuds, up to 1 metre of fresh water for up to 30 minutes); the charging case is not water resistant Earbuds should be dried before going back into the case when wet or sweaty. Samsung	—
Size and weight	Earbud 18.1 × 19.8 × 33.2 mm, 5.4 g; case 48.7 × 58.9 × 24.4 mm, 46.5 g Samsung	Earbud (each): 30.79 × 18.26 × 19.21 mm, 4.28 g; case: 46.40 × 54.40 × 21.38 mm, 37.91 g Apple
Design and fit	—	Open-fit in-ear design without silicone tips; short stem Because the earbud does not seal the canal, ambient sound is heard; fit depends on ear shape and there are no interchangeable tips. Apple
Audio technology	—	Custom high-excursion Apple driver; custom high dynamic range amplifier; Personalised Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking; Adaptive EQ Adaptive EQ measures what is heard in the ear with the inward-facing microphone and adjusts the tuning to the fit in real time. Head tracking anchors sound to the Apple device’s screen. There is no active noise cancellation or transparency mode. Apple
Chip and connectivity	—	H1 headphone chip; Bluetooth 5.0 Automatic device switching, “Hey Siri” and one-tap pairing work with Apple devices. Apple
Sensors and microphones	—	Dual beamforming microphones, inward-facing microphone, skin-detect sensor, motion and speech-detecting accelerometers, force sensor The skin-detect sensor pauses playback when an earbud is removed. Apple
Controls	—	Press the stem once to play/pause or answer a call; twice to skip forward or end a call; three times to skip back; press and hold for Siri There is no on-bud volume control. Apple
Charging case	—	MagSafe Charging Case (MagSafe, Qi and Lightning) or Lightning Charging Case The included cable is Lightning to USB-C; there is no adapter. Apple
Sweat and water resistance	—	IPX4: earbuds and charging case IPX4 protects against splashes; it is not for submersion. Apple