Samsung has expanded its Galaxy Buds lineup with the ‘Fan Edition’ Galaxy Buds 3 FE, finally delivering a more affordable earbud alongside the existing Galaxy Buds 3 and Buds 3 Pro models it released in July 2024.
Like its family members, the Galaxy Buds 3 FE commit to the move away from the circular earbud shape of Samsung earbuds of old to the familiar, AirPods-like ‘stem’ one, which Samsung calls its ‘Blade’ design. This can be pinched to make playback selections or swiped to adjust the volume.
Alternatively, you can go hands-free courtesy of Google Gemini integration – saying phrases like “Hey Google” when you’re wearing the earbuds can initiate voice playback controls, and when paired with a Galaxy phone there’s the option of sending messages and checking emails via voice activation.
Using the Galaxy AI Interpreter app, real-time translation can also be fed to the earbuds to facilitate conversations with someone speaking in another language. Neat.
The Blade design isn’t the only notable aspect of the new Samsung buds’ physical design, either; the Buds3 FE have been blessed with an IP54 waterproof rating, making them suitable for wearing during sweaty workouts or out in rainy weather.
Promising performance upgrades
Like their 2023-released Galaxy Buds FE predecessor, the new Samsung budget earbuds have active noise cancellation onboard, only this time it has been improved to reduce ambient noise and therefore increase its effectiveness to isolate you and your music or voice calls.
They also sport a larger driver than the previous-gen buds for supposedly ‘rich, powerful sound with deep bass and clear treble’, which bodes well for the new FEs considering we called the originals “clear, full-frequency sound signature, with a generous soundstage”.
Perhaps unsurprisingly considering their modest price point, the Galaxy Buds 3 FE settle for Samsung’s SSC Bluetooth codec alongside the ‘vanilla’ AAC and SBC.
While the higher-quality aptX and LDAC codec can be found in similarly affordable wireless earbuds such as our favorites, the Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC, which supports the latter codec, their absence is hardly a deal-breaker at this price.
One thing that does thoroughly impress at this price level is the Galaxy Buds 3 FE’s battery life – you get 8.5 hours in the buds (or 6 hours with ANC on) and an extra 24 hours of juice in the charging case (or 30 hours with ANC on).
Plenty of much pricier earbuds don’t manage those numbers (as you can see in our best wireless earbuds guide) – including Samsung’s flagship Buds 3 Pro, which have a maximum on-bud battery life of seven hours.
Available in black or gray, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 FE will become available in the US on September 4, priced at $150, with availability in other territories to follow.
