Apple vs. Google vs. Samsung: Who Makes the Best Earbuds?
There are tons of options in the running for the best earbuds these days. From the top names in noise-cancelling to open-ear styles for working out and situational awareness, buds remain the go-to headphone for most people. The companies that make your smartphones know this. Regardless of whether you have an iPhone and an accompanying pair of Apple AirPods, or a Google Pixel or Samsung Galaxy Android, each offers a pair of "pro" earbuds you can tack on to your purchase for an audio upgrade.
The question today: Which of these pro buds are worth buying? And in a three-way head-to-head which one is the best overall? If I have to pick, I'm taking the Google Pixel Buds.
In the past year, I've been able to try each of them out for extended periods and can determine, from first-hand experience, which one is worth your money. Consider this a buyer's guide for the most premium earbuds for your phone. Read on for my breakdown of all three.
There's a couple things that set the AirPods Pro apart from regular AirPods. First there's the form factor—the Pro pods have interchangeable silicon ear tips. This changes the fit significantly from the AirPods 4's classic one piece design. Personally, I prefer the design and fit of the Pro, but some longtime AirPods fans on staff disagree with me there. So we can say, with confidence, that it's a divisive choice.
The other upgrade is sound, which is where these earbuds excel. The sound quality is crisp and clear with ANC off and the active noise cancelling is top-notch when it's switched on. On those grounds, the AirPods Pro 2s are on the same level as the best in earbuds from premium audio brands like Bowers & Wilkins and Bose.
Of course, the deciding factor on whether or not to buy these AirPods is what phone you have. If you're an iPhone user, you'll have the benefit of almost immediate pairing, as well as advanced features like spatial audio and adaptive EQ. If you have an Android, you can still connect them like regular Bluetooth buds, but they won't connect as seamlessly, music won't pause when you take one out, and you won't be able to talk to Siri.
- Sound quality
- Great ANC
- Conveienent for Apple users
- Mixed reviews on the eartips
- Not worth it for Android phone users
| Battery | 6 hours on one charge/Up to 30 hours with charging case |
|---|---|
| Total Weight | 61 grams |
| Resistance Rating | IP54 |
If you're a Pixel phone user, these are your version of AirPods. Only, in our testing, we've found them to be more comfortable for extended listening sessions and they have longer-lasting battery life, all while going toe to toe in terms of sound. The Pixel Buds Pro 2 can achieve commute-worthy noise cancellation, which in our experience means it's good enough for most situations. Although, in the noise-cancelling category we have to give the slight edge to the AirPods Pros.
Here's the thing; we don't know that many people with Pixel phones. That's not a negative, thankfully, for the Pixel Buds. The benefit of the larger, less restricted, Android ecosystem is that very few features of these buds are limited to just Pixel phone users. Instead, many of them (including spatial audio, multipoint pairing, and Find My Device) are Android-only, meaning they will work just the same paired with your Galaxy phone. This gives them (and the next pair we are going to discuss) an extra edge that AirPods don't have.
- Most comfortable fit of the three
- Great battery on one charge
- Most features supported by all Android phones
- Not advantageous for iPhone users
- AirPods get the win for noise cancelling
| Battery | Up to 12 hours on one charge. Up to 36 hours with charging case. |
|---|---|
| Total Weight | 65 grams |
| Resistance Rating | IP54 |
The black sheep contenders are the Galaxy Buds Pro 3. The Samsung offering is less pricey than the others, starting at $180 instead of the $229 and $249 price tags affixed to the Google and Apple earbuds. So that's nice. And they sound pretty good—especially if you have a Samsung device allowing for high-fidelity audio. Unfortunately, these "pro" earbuds fail to hit the standard of excellence the other two set.
In terms of noise-cancelling, the Galaxy Buds boast using advanced AI tech, but I found the adaptive noise reduction to be hit-and-miss at best and distracting at worst. It also took me way too long to get a handle on the stem controls of the buds themselves. It's going for the AirPod style of volume control, but they don't quite hit the mark. In my testing experience, I found the fit to be loose, with the buds threatening to fall out pretty frequently. That will vary from person to person, but typically most earbuds fit me with the default ear tips, so I am usually a good test case.
Ultimately, unless you are really invested in the Galaxy ecosystem, we think most Android users would prefer the Pixel buds for comfort and noise cancellation.
- More affordable than the other two
- The features you want work across all Androids
- AI noise reduction is hit and miss
- Controls are awkward
- Fit is a bit off
| Battery | Up to 8 hours on one charge. Up to 18 hours with charging case. |
|---|---|
| Total Weight | 57.3 grams |
| Resistance Rating | IPX7 |
The easy way out is to say iPhone people should get AirPods and Android people should get the Pixel Buds (sorry, Galaxy Buds, maybe next time around). That is a true statement that I back 100 percent. But I'm here to make an ultimate judgement, so I have to pick.
For $30 less MSRP, the Pixel Buds Pros are more comfortable, last longer on a single charge, and (of all three options) have the fewest features locked for competing phones. The Apple diehards will have my head for this one.
Winner: Pixel Buds ProWhy Trust EsquireAs Esquire's tech and commerce editor, I've been testing new headphones and earbuds every month for the past year and a half. Backing me up is decades of institutional knowledge and testing experience. We know the tech and gadgets that are worth your hard-earned cash. Importantly, we're insiders. We know all the weird jargon and tech specs that you don't need to worry about. We compile our guides by performing heavy research and testing, and the gadgets we choose to award are what we'd spend our own money on.
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