Samsung recently launched the Galaxy Buds 2 wireless earbuds on the market. This new true wireless stereo (TWS) is the successor to the Galaxy Buds and Galaxy Buds+ which were launched two years ago.
Galaxy Buds 2 is claimed to be the smallest and lightest TWS ever released by Samsung. The price is also more affordable than its predecessor, but with richer features.
We had the opportunity to test out the Galaxy Buds 2 for a few weeks to listen to music, podcasts, watch movies and online meetings. What's the performance like? Check out the full review below.
Design
From the outside, the Galaxy Buds 2 looks to have a charging case similar to the Galaxy Buds Pro and Galaxy Buds Live. The shape is a box, similar to a jewelry box with a glossy finish.
Galaxy Buds 2 comes in four color choices, namely graphite, white, olive and lavender which are the variants that I tried. Oh yes, even though it comes in four color options, all Galaxy Buds 2 charging cases come with a white exterior.
Once opened, the interior and buds are seen with the same color. In contrast to the glossy exterior, the interior of the Galaxy Buds 2's charging case has a matte finish that was presumably designed to make it easier to take the buds out of their sockets.
The size of the charging case is fairly compact and not too thick. Even when put in the pocket of women's jeans, which are notoriously narrow, they can still fit comfortably.
The Buds themselves are rounder than the Galaxy Buds Pro, and have an in-ear model. Similar to the exterior of the charging case, these buds have a glossy finish and can be a bit difficult to hold if your hands are wet or sweaty.
Samsung claims the Galaxy Buds 2 is 15% smaller and 20% lighter than the Galaxy Buds Plus. The smaller size and light weight make this TWS feel more comfortable when used for a long time, but as a result the space available for control is very limited.
Features and Software
Galaxy Buds 2 requires the Galaxy Wearable app to connect with your Android phone and access all of its features. This app is also available for Windows devices, but unfortunately not yet available for iOS.
iPhone users can still connect their devices to the Galaxy Buds 2 using a Bluetooth connection. But of course it's impossible not to be able to access the supporting features included by Samsung.
Oh yes, although the Galaxy Wearable app supports all Android phones, there are some features that are not available for non-Samsung phones. For example, the Game mode option in the Labs menu is not available on non-Samsung Android phones.
In addition, Samsung has equipped the Galaxy Buds 2 with a Scalable Codec that can only be accessed if the TWS is connected to a Samsung mobile phone. On other devices the only available codecs are AAC and SBC.
The features the Galaxy Wearable app offers are actually quite simple. Users can check the remaining power in the buds and charging case in more detail, activate active noise canceling or ambient sound, adjust the equalizer, and others.
But there is one interesting feature, namely the earbud fit test. When a new user connects the Galaxy Buds 2 with a cellphone, the Galaxy Wearable app will immediately ask for a fit test to see if the size of the silicone tip used is suitable for the user's ear or not.
This feature is very helpful because it makes it easier for users to find the right silicone tips to make the ears more comfortable and the sound heard is also more optimal. Samsung itself provides the Galaxy Buds 2 with a medium-sized default tip, and two extra small and large tips.
To control the Galaxy Buds 2 can be done by touching the buds directly. Touch the buds once to stop/play the song, twice to play the next song/answer the phone, and three times to play the previous song.
Users can also set touch and hold control options as they wish, for example to switch from ANC to ambient sound, call the voice assistant, open Spotify, or adjust the volume.
With the latest software update for the Galaxy Buds 2, users can also adjust the volume by touching the tip of the buds. This is an experimental feature that can be accessed via the Labs menu.
Speaking of controls, the Galaxy Buds 2 is a bit of a pain. Sometimes the touch panel is too sensitive, sometimes less responsive. Due to the limited control space, sometimes when trying to correct the position of the buds, they accidentally touch the control panel.
The Galaxy Buds 2 also have an IPX2 rating so they can be worn outdoors while exercising or when it's drizzling. But when it rains heavily or you want to play in the water by the pool, it's best not to carry the Galaxy Buds 2.
Audio
For audio matters, Samsung provides the Galaxy Buds 2 with 2-way speakers. There is a tweeter that handles high sounds, and a woofer that handles low sounds so that the sound is heard more clearly.
As a result, the sound produced is very satisfying for a small TWS like this. The bass sounds loud in EDM and techno songs, although it's less punchy when compared to the Jabra Elite 75t which is relatively more expensive.
When used to listen to indie and rock music which is dominated by guitar, the mid and high sounds are very clear. Try using Galaxy Buds 2 to listen to Spoon's song 'Don't Make Me a Target', you'll definitely fall in love with this TWS.
So what about the ANC performance which is the flagship feature of the Galaxy Buds 2? Samsung claims this feature can filter up to 98% of external noise, enough to help concentrate during online meetings or studying.
The ANC in the Galaxy Buds 2 can't completely block external sound, but I personally prefer TWS like this because it can still pay attention to the environment when listening to music.
If you want to be more aware of the surrounding sound, there is an ambient sound feature that can be activated. There are three ambient sound modes to choose from, namely low, medium and high.
This feature can include a little external sound so that we can still hear the sound around us without the need to remove the buds from the ear. So you don't have to worry about missing your flight, or missing your coffee order when the barista calls you.
Unfortunately, the Galaxy Buds 2 doesn't have a feature that can stop songs automatically when one of the buds is removed from the ear. But with a fairly affordable price, it seems quite reasonable if this feature is absent.
Not only is the audio quality impressive, the Galaxy Buds 2 also offers excellent call quality thanks to three microphones equipped with a voice pickup unit. Annoying noise in the background can also be removed with deep neural network (DNN) technology.
When used for telephone or online meetings, my voice can be heard clearly by the other person, even when talking next to a noisy fan.
Battery
Samsung claims the Galaxy Buds 2 battery can last up to five hours if the ANC feature is enabled, and 7.5 hours if the ANC is turned off. From the test results, when used to listen to music for two hours with ANC enabled, the Galaxy Buds 2 battery remains 50%, not too far from Samsung's claims.
Battery life is not as strong as other TWS. But perhaps this is a compromise by Samsung to ensure the design of the Galaxy Buds 2 is as small and light as possible.
Meanwhile, the charging case can add up to 20 hours of power (with ANC) or 29 hours (without ANC). This means that the Galaxy Buds 2 charging case can be used to recharge the battery four times.
To recharge the charging case, you can use USB Type-C or use a Qi wireless charger. Since it is not equipped with fast charging, the recharging process takes almost two hours to fully charge the charging case.
Our opinion
If you are looking for a Samsung TWS while considering value for money, the Galaxy Buds 2 can be your first choice because the price is cheaper than the Galaxy Buds Pro and Galaxy Buds Live but still carries many features.
