Pixel Buds Pro 2 vs Galaxy Buds 3 Pro & Nothing Ear: Clear winner

Completely wireless earphones are anywhere That will be the case in 2024, but finding what’s right for you may be difficult. Over the past few months, the standout choices for me have been the Nothing Ear, the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, and most recently the Pixel Buds Pro 2. There’s a clear winner out of the three in my book.

Hardware and fit

One of the most important aspects of earbuds is the hardware and how they actually fit in your ears, and there are some clear approaches. Some earphones are worn in the ear, while others have stems.

Google has stuck to the former, with the Pixel Buds Pro 2 featuring a design that fits your ear canal more than anything else. As Andrew Romero explained in his review, the earbuds “float” in your ears. Personally, I don’t like it very much. There is more “pressure” in the ear, but there is also the added benefit of comfort.

That said, comfort varies greatly from person to person.

For others, the stem design of Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 3 Pro and Nothing Ear may be better. I have certainly come to the conclusion that the weight change that this design provides makes for a much more comfortable experience over time. I think Samsung earphones have a slight edge, especially when it comes to long-term fit. Just barely Compared to Nothing Ear, the fit was much better than I expected. The blocky design of the earbuds hides a really good in-ear fit.

Speaking of which, let’s talk about design.

Google’s strategy remains the same. You’ll see fun colors on your touchpad, and that’s it. It’s not too flashy, and you can choose the color you want to show off from several options.

None have a distinctive transparent exterior that reveals part of the interior. It’s a futuristic and fun choice that doesn’t make the stemmed design feel like a clone of Apple’s AirPods.

Samsung’s… well, they’re just AirPods clones. There’s no point in splitting hairs. Samsung’s design decision is eerily similar to Apple’s, but that’s fine as long as it can support it. The gray color helps. Another thing I like about Samsung is the “blade” light, which is completely pointless functionally.

The case is as important as the earphones

In my book, I say that the case you store your earbuds in is just as important, if not more so, than the earbuds themselves.

With the Pixel Buds Pro 2, you get the same familiar “Pebble” case that Google has used for the past few generations. It’s compact, pocketable, and works very well. This year, it also has a built-in speaker to help with pairing status and finding devices, and it still has a physical button on the back for manual pairing if fast pairing doesn’t work or isn’t an option. However, as our team members noticed during use, this year’s cases are more prone to damage and dirt. /I

The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro have a brand new case, ditching the previous generation’s square shape in favor of the same one found on Apple’s AirPods Pro. But that means it’s compact and easy to keep in your pocket. There’s a transparent part on the top that lets you see the “blade” light while the earbuds are charging, and a pairing button on the bottom. I realized that the case was very easy to damage, but it got the job done.

Finally, there are empty ears. The bulkiest of the three, this case is larger and thicker, but its transparent design is unique and, like the others, well-made. There’s also a pairing button on the back next to the USB-C port. Personally, this is my least favorite of the three cases listed here.

Does software matter?

Another important factor to consider is the software side, and there are two aspects to keep an eye on. The first is functionality and where it works.

The main special feature of the Pixel Buds Pro 2 is its Gemini integration, which works with all Android smartphones. The same goes for most Pixel features. You can also use Fast Pairing when searching for a device, or[設定]Most controls will be available from the menu (in some cases, you may need to download the Pixel Buds app).

Also, Nothing Ear generally works the same regardless of the device you pair it with. Fast pairing and lots of controls are available through the Nothing X app. The only feature directly tied to one device is ChatGPT integration, which only works when paired with Nothing Phone.

With Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, you’ll find that many features are only available on Galaxy smartphones. Optimal audio settings, fast pairing, and more are only available when paired with a Galaxy device, but the Galaxy wearable app also brings support for most controls to other Android devices.

What codecs are supported?

When it comes to widely supported codecs, Nothing Ear is probably your best choice. Support varies slightly depending on the device you pair, but AAC, SBC, LDAC, and LHDC 5.0 are supported. In other words, you not only get standard support, but also high-resolution support if you need it.

Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 3 Pro supports AAC, SBC, and SSC codecs, as well as Samsung’s own codecs that support significantly higher sound quality when paired with a compatible Samsung device. Limited. For example, Samsung’s touted 24-bit/96kHz Hi-Res audio only works on Galaxy devices with One UI 6.1.1 or later.

Google hasn’t officially listed the codecs supported by the Pixel Buds Pro 2, but they still support the same AAC and SBC codecs as the previous generation, making them clearly the most limited codecs. Masu.

Where does this relate? For the average user, probably not. However, if you’re looking for better audio quality than the run-of-the-mill stuff, we recommend choosing a pair with better codec support. You definitely won’t find this on Pixel Buds.

If battery life is important to you, there are obvious great features

When choosing earphones, battery life can be important or irrelevant. If it’s important, you may need to use it longer between charges. If not, maybe just a few hours is enough. For the latter, the Nothing Ear and Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are perfectly suitable, with enough battery life for everyday use.

For long listening sessions that last basically all day, Google’s Pixel Buds Pro 2 are the clear winner. It lasts quite a while on a single charge, meaning you can use it for as long as you need without interruption before the battery dies.

Here’s the battery life for all three offered by each brand:

Which one do you like?

For me, the overall winner here is Nothing Ear.

These are by far the cheapest, have the widest audio support, consistent quality and ANC, and great hardware. The obvious drawback in my eyes is that the case is too big and bulky. But these are the earphones that will remain in my pocket for the foreseeable future. And if we’re talking about Nothing Ear, Ear (a) is right up there too, with 90% of the quality and features, and an even better case for just $99 (or less).

There is another great product that we haven’t mentioned here. This is because I haven’t had a chance to try it. It’s OnePlus Buds Pro 3. According to Damien Wilde, it has an excellent case and the sound quality is excellent. At $179, it’s cheaper than options from Google and Samsung (and often discounted beyond that).

But what about you? Do you prefer the software and features of Pixel Buds? Tighter integration with Galaxy Buds? Let us know in the comments.

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