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Samsung’s new Galaxy Buds are surprisingly affordable

By Simon Cohen October 3, 2023

Samsung Galaxy Buds FE in graphite. — Samsung

Samsung’s new wireless earbuds — the Galaxy Buds FE — are just $100, a new low price for a set of Galaxy Buds. Samsung introduced the new earbuds alongside its other new FE devices, the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE and Galaxy Tab S9 FE. Available in white and graphite colors, you’ll be able to buy them from Samsung.com and major retailers starting October 10.

Until today, Samsung’s Galaxy wireless earbuds lineup consisted of the $150 Galaxy Buds Live, the $150 Galaxy Buds 2, and the flagship $230 Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. With the Galaxy Buds FE, you can now get a set of Samsung buds with desirable features like active noise cancellation (ANC) and transparency modes for less.

Samsung Galaxy Buds FE in graphite and white. — Samsung

Samsung says that you can expect “powerful bass [that] offers deep and rich sound that allows you to enjoy music the way the artist intended,” from the Buds FE, along with some of the best battery life the company has ever provided: a claimed six hours with ANC on and up to 8.5 hours when it’s off. These numbers extend to 21 and 30 hours respectively when you include the charging case.

The Buds FE also sport a new, ergonomic shape that makes use of both three sizes of silicone eartips and two sizes of wingtips — another first for the Galaxy lineup — to help you get the best fit possible. Like their siblings, the Buds FE use touch controls.

Samsung Galaxy Buds FE in graphite. — Samsung

Water protection, at just IPX2 is minimal, but Samsung fans are used to this — only the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro offer more protection at IPX7. If you’re invested in the Samsung ecosystem, you’ll be able to take advantage of several Samsung-only features, like easy pairing, auto-switching between previously paired Samsung phones, tablets, laptops, and TVs, and SmartThings Find, which lets you locate lost earbuds.

The one feature that Samsung has left out — possibly as a way to bring the price down — is wireless charging, so you won’t be able to charge the Buds FE’s case with a Qi charging mat or by using reverse wireless charging from a Samsung phone.

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Contributing Editor, A/V

Simon Cohen covers a variety of consumer technologies, but has a special interest in audio and video products, like…

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