After more than one year of using the Galaxy Buds Pro, I'm convinced I'm never going back to using wired headphones with my Galaxy smartphone or tablet. And not because the 3.5mm headphone port is gone. There's always the option to use a USB-C-to-3.5mm adapter if I really want to listen to music through a pair of wired headphones when I'm out and about. Truthfully, the reason why I'm never switching back to wired headphones for my mobile devices is two-fold.
Firstly, it all has to do with comfort and freedom of movement. I never want to accidentally catch my headphones' wire in a doorknob or between my fingers when I go for a quick run or reach for my wallet. And I never want to keep adjusting the wire if I try to avoid the first two issues by wearing the headphones' cord under my clothes. Once I got used to the freedom of movement wireless earbuds provide, I already found it difficult to go back to the old wired solution.
Galaxy Buds are better when you use multiple devices
Then, there's the second reason, and it has to do with the fact that Samsung's Galaxy Buds can do things wired headphones cannot. Samsung's Galaxy Buds integrate beautifully with multiple mobile devices. I often switch between my Galaxy phone and tablet, and my Galaxy Buds Pro seamlessly sync with whichever mobile device I'm using — or asks me if I want to reconnect to the device I'm currently using.
Admittedly, you'd get similar results using wired headphones and unplugging and plugging them into whichever Galaxy device you're using at any given time. But that certainly wouldn't be as convenient and fast as wireless Galaxy Buds. And once you see this feature in action, you know it's far superior to the analog method.
They're even better if you use a smartwatch
More importantly, the Galaxy Buds are the perfect earbuds for fitness and a great companion for the Galaxy Watch. Far better than wired solutions. I love connecting the Buds to my smartwatch and going for a walk while leaving my phone at home. And the cherry on top is that when I'm exercising at home, I can stream music from my phone and get audio instructions from my smartwatch through the same earbuds, all at the same time!
This multi-audio feature works almost like magic when I'm using a phone/tablet and a Galaxy Watch. The music volume from my phone or tablet ducks automatically whenever the smartwatch “speaks” to me, which allows me to hear its instructions clearly. And once again, I don't have to deal with wires when I'm active, which is a huge plus for me.
3.5mm headphone ports be damned?
Does this mean 3.5mm headphone jacks are useless in general? No, and I think it would be nice if Samsung still included a 3.5mm port, at least in low-cost Galaxy phones, if not its premium ones. Or, at the very least, sell phones with a free USB-to-3.5mm dongle included.
Truth be told, the Galaxy Buds are not nearly as cheap as a pair of wireless earbuds can be. I got mine as a pre-order bonus for the Galaxy S22+, and I probably wouldn't fork over $150 and up for wireless earbuds if I'd use a Galaxy A54.
In addition, I generally prefer using wired headphones when gaming on my PC or console, especially since Samsung's Galaxy Buds aren't great for gaming on external devices due to latency caused by codecs. And if I'd want pure audio fidelity when listening to music at home, I'd likely get a pair of wired planar headphones or something along those lines.
Wired headphones have their time and place, but wireless are better for mobile
As for my mobile experience when I'm using my phone, tablet, and smartwatch, there's no better choice than my Galaxy Buds, and I'd take them over a 3.5mm port any day of the week. I find Samsung's wireless earbuds comfortable and convenient as they don't get in the way when I'm active. And that might sound like a minor thing, but once you experience the benefits of no wires dangling from your ears or neck, it's hard to go back.
And because I use multiple Samsung mobile devices, I love the auto-sync feature working as seamlessly as it does, and I'd never find some of the Buds' neat quality-of-life features on wired solutions. If I were to lose my Buds, I'm sure I'd miss them greatly, and I'd try buying another wireless pair rather than going for wired headphones for my mobile use cases.
SamsungGalaxy Buds 2 Pro
SamsungGalaxy Buds 2
SamsungGalaxy Buds Pro
