Last summer, Samsung overhauled its Galaxy Buds line with the Galaxy Buds 3 and 3 Pro. This year, the company is adding a third, more affordable option to its earbuds family with the Galaxy Buds 3 FE ($150). This so-called "fan edition" carries a "blade" design similar to the existing Galaxy Buds 3 duo, but has the ear tip fit akin to the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. Active noise cancellation (ANC) is still in the mix here, even with the lower price, and a solid list of features make these an option to consider for owners of a recent Galaxy phone.
The Galaxy Buds 3 FE are the successor to the the Galaxy Buds FE that debuted in 2023. As such, many of the company's comparisons and claims about improvements are pitted against the performance of that model. That previous version came before Samsung swapped over to the AirPods-like stem design, or "blade" as the company describes it, so this new FE edition looks very different from its predecessor. The onboard controls are situated along that stem like the rest of the Galaxy Buds 3 line, including audio playback and volume adjustments.
To improve call quality on the Galaxy Buds 3 FE, Samsung says it relocated the voice microphones to the stem so they're closer to the user's mouth. The company also explains that it made changes to audio quality thanks to larger speakers than the previous FE version for "powerful sound with deep bass and clear treble." There's also "enhanced" ANC and the aforementioned call upgrades include noise reduction technology that can isolate your voice in less-than-ideal environments.
Another slight improvement is in the area of battery life. The Galaxy Buds 3 FE can last up to eight and a half hours with ANC off, or up to 30 hours total when you factor in the charging case. That's 90 minutes longer than the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. With ANC enabled, battery life compared to the current Pro model is unchanged at six hours (24 hours total with the case).
Lastly, the ingress protection isn't quite as robust as the Galaxy Buds 3 and Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. Those two sets of earbuds are IP57 rated for dust protection and water immersion. However, the Galaxy Buds 3 FE is IP54 rated, so it's only promised to withstand water splashes.
The Galaxy Buds 3 FE will be available on September 4 for $150 in Black and Gray color options.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/samsung-brings-its-airpods-esque-blade-design-to-the-galaxy-buds-3-fe-130056520.html?src=rss https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/samsung-brings-its-airpods-esque-blade-design-to-the-galaxy-buds-3-fe-130056520.html?src=rss
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