Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro / Apple AirPods Max (Lightning, 2020)

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 Max (Lightning, 2020): AirPods Max 1, the first version with a Lightning charging port (2020); Silver, Space Grey, Sky Blue, Pink and Green. The 2024 USB‑C version and AirPods Max 2 are separate models.

SpecificationSamsung Galaxy Buds3 ProApple AirPods Max (Lightning, 2020)
Release year20242020
Bluetooth and codecsBluetooth 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		—
ProfilesA2DP, AVRCP, HFP, PBP, TMAP

PBP and TMAP are broadcast and telephony/media profiles that come with LE Audio.

Samsung		—
DriverTwo-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 controlActive 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 sensors6 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 features360 Audio; Adaptive EQ

360 Audio uses head tracking to keep sound fixed in space; it needs One UI 3.1 or later.

Samsung		—
BatteryANC 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 20 hours of listening with Active Noise Cancellation or Transparency on; up to 20 hours of movies with Spatial Audio on; 5 minutes of charge gives about 1.5 hours of listening

Apple’s figures come from pre-production tests with an iPhone 12 Pro Max in November 2020.

Apple
Water resistanceIP57 (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 weightEarbud 18.1 × 19.8 × 33.2 mm, 5.4 g; case 48.7 × 58.9 × 24.4 mm, 46.5 g Samsung187.3 × 168.6 × 83.4 mm; 384.8 g with cushions; Smart Case 134.5 g Apple
Audio technology—Apple-designed dynamic driver; Active Noise Cancellation; Transparency mode; Personalised Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking; Adaptive EQ

A Personalised Spatial Audio profile is created with an iPhone that has a TrueDepth camera; the feature needs compatible content and apps.

Apple
Chip—Apple H1 headphone chip in each ear cup Apple
Microphones—Nine microphones in total: eight for noise cancellation; three for voice pickup (two shared with noise cancellation) Apple
Sensors—Optical, position and case-detect sensors plus an accelerometer in each cup; gyroscope in the left cup

The position and optical sensors detect when the headphones are put on or taken off to pause and resume playback.

Apple
Controls—Digital Crown (volume, play/pause, calls, track skip, Siri) and noise control button

Turning the Digital Crown changes the volume; the noise control button switches between Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode.

Apple
Charging and case—Charging via Lightning; the battery enters an ultra-low-power state in the Smart Case

The box contains the headphones, the Smart Case and a Lightning to USB‑C cable. There is no separate power button; the Smart Case handles power saving.

Apple
Connectivity—Bluetooth 5.0 Apple
Compatibility—Apple devices running the latest iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, macOS or tvOS

They work as Bluetooth headphones with Apple devices on older software and with non-Apple devices, but functionality is limited.

Apple