Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 FE review: The Goldilocks of Galaxy Buds

Samsung’s Fan Edition products have always been about finding the sweet spot between premium features and sensible pricing, and the Galaxy Buds3 FE might be the most successful attempt yet. At $149, these earbuds cherry-pick the best elements from their pricier siblings. Most importantly, Samsung returned to sealed ear tips, a decision that alone makes these more recommendable than the $30-more-expensive Buds3. The matte black finish also feels more refined and subtle than the glossy metallic look of the Buds3 Pro. After testing all three models in Samsung’s current lineup, are the Buds3 FE the goldilocks of the bunch, or do they make too many sacrifices for the low price?

What’s it like to use the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 FE?

The Samsung Galaxy Buds3 FE feel just as premium as their Buds3 Pro counterpart and even better than the standard Buds3. Where the Buds3 decided to go unsealed, the FE returns to the tried-and-true sealed ear tip design that actually stays in your ears. While some people may prefer an unsealed design, I prefer having ear tips because they help deliver better bass response, passive isolation, or noise canceling. You get three sizes of ear tips included to help find a secure fit, and I found they did not require constant readjustment like the Buds3 did.

I always liked the matte black finish of the original Galaxy Buds Pro and 2 Pro, and I am glad to see its return here over the glossy metallic aesthetic of the other Buds3 models. It looks more understated and is also a little less prone to fingerprints and scratches. There is still the semi-transparent lid on the case that snaps open and closed firmly out of the box, but I will say the lid has loosened with usage on my Galaxy Buds3 Pro, so I expect the same wear here. The case itself is identical in size to its more expensive siblings, sliding easily into my pocket. However, Samsung has ditched the blue and orange colors to distinguish between left and right earbuds. I don’t consider this a huge loss, as there are still L and R markings to distinguish the two.

At 5g per earbud, they’re marginally heavier than the Buds3 but lighter than the Pros — though you’d need a precision scale to really notice the difference. The stem design borrowed from the Pro line works well here, providing a secure anchor point through your tragus and antitragus while the sealed tips handle the actual acoustic coupling. I was able to listen with them comfortably for hour-long listening sessions. There are no flashy lights down the side of the blade stem like the Buds3 Pro, but that feature might not appeal to everyone anyway.

The IP54 rating is a step down from the IP57 rating of the pricier models, meaning you lose the ability to survive a quick dunk. However, for gym sessions and getting caught in the rain, IP54 is more than adequate. The seal also means your music doesn’t have to compete with gym equipment clanging or street noise bleeding through, making moderate volume levels actually usable.

Should you use the Samsung Galaxy Wearable app for the Galaxy Buds3 FE?

Yes, you absolutely need the Samsung Galaxy Wearable app to get your money’s worth from the Buds3 FE. Without it, you’re essentially using $150 earbuds as basic Bluetooth headphones, missing out on the features that justify the price over cheaper alternatives.

The app unlocks the same AI features that Samsung touts on the Pro models — Gemini voice commands, real-time translation through the Interpreter app, and Bixby integration all require the app to function. You’ll also need it for basic quality-of-life features like the equalizer presets, ANC toggle, ambient sound controls, Find My Earbuds, and firmware updates. The FE gets the same 6 EQ presets as its siblings: Bass boost, Treble boost, Smooth, Dynamic, Clear, and Balanced. There’s also a custom 9-band EQ to tweak to your liking.

For Samsung phone owners running One UI 8.0 or higher, many controls integrate directly into the phone’s settings menu, streamlining the experience. Android users on other phones will need to download the Galaxy Wearable app from the Play Store, while iPhone users are out of luck for anything beyond basic Bluetooth connectivity — no EQ, no ANC controls, no AI features. That’s a significant limitation that makes these earbuds hard to recommend for iOS users.

Auto Switch deserves a mention here — if you’re invested in the Samsung ecosystem with multiple Galaxy devices, the earbuds will intelligently switch between your phone, tablet, and supported Samsung TVs (2022 or newer). It works well enough when it works, though occasionally you’ll need to manually intervene when it gets confused about which device you actually want to use.

How does the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 FE connect?

As the Samsung Galaxy Buds3 FE are a set of truly wireless earbuds, it shouldn’t be surprising that they use the latest Bluetooth 5.4 to connect to source devices. You can connect over SBC, AAC, or Samsung Seamless Codec. The latter boasts near-lossless listening, though you’ll need a very current Samsung phone in order to make the most of this. If you don’t have one of the latest Samsung phones, you’ll be limited to SBC or AAC.

Multipoint connectivity is absent, which is disappointing but unsurprising at this price. You can use Auto Switch between Samsung devices, but true multipoint — where the earbuds maintain simultaneous connections to two devices — isn’t here. If you frequently jump between your work laptop and personal phone, this could be a dealbreaker.

LE Audio readiness is built in, and the earbuds support Auracast for broadcast audio sharing. These features are more about future-proofing than current utility, as Auracast adoption remains minimal outside of specific venues.

How long do the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 FE’s battery last?

With ANC enabled, we were able to squeak out 4 hours and 26 minutes of playback. While turning off the ANC, we saw that the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 FE could withstand our battery test for just under 6 hours. Though this might not seem all that impressive, this places the earbuds squarely at a more-or-less average battery life, and it’s more than good enough for commuting to and from work. Just avoid using these on long-haul intercontinental flights and you’ll be fine.

Unlike the other third-generation Galaxy Buds, the 3 FE do not support wireless charging.

How well do the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 FE cancel noise?

The Galaxy Buds 3 FE do an excellent job of canceling noise. Not only do the ear tips provide much better isolation compared to the unsealed Galaxy Buds 3, but based on our measurements, the active noise cancelation performance is a step above that of the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. With a good fit, you can expect about 66% of outside noise to be hushed without ANC, and about 86% when the unit is enabled, placing these earbuds among the best ANC earbuds you can buy. There is no adaptive ANC, but you honestly won’t need it with how good it works here. I also found that the ANC handled wind noise well, which many wireless earbuds tend to struggle with.

How do the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 FE sound?

Samsung’s tuning expertise shines through in the Galaxy Buds3 FE. They deliver a more refined, balanced sound than their pricier siblings, making them likely to please both casual listeners and those with more discerning tastes.

Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Scores (MDAQS)

The chart below shows how the Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Score (MDAQS) algorithm from HEAD acoustics assesses the sound of the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 FE. The sound quality is rated on a scale from 1.0 (very bad) to 5.0 (very good).

The simulated panel of listeners returned decent scores for Distortion and Immersiveness, with merely “okay” scores for Timbre. Remember that this sample, in particular, was not recorded using Samsung’s proprietary codecs, so this should be viewed as the performance floor of the earbuds.

Reviewer’s notes

Editor’s note: this review uses a hover-enabled glossary to describe sound quality based on a consensus vocabulary. You can read about it here.

Objective Measurements

Can you use the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 FE for phone calls?

Yes, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 FE can be used for just about any call application. Take a listen below to hear what the microphones can do.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 FE microphone demo (Ideal conditions):

Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 FE?

If you own a Samsung phone and want quality ANC earbuds without spending $250 on the Buds3 Pro, the Galaxy Buds3 FE are an easy recommendation. At $149, they deliver the core experience of Samsung’s flagship earbuds while making sensible compromises. The sealed design alone makes them a better buy than the $179 Buds3, which suffer from chronic fit issues.

The FE nails the fundamentals: class-leading ANC that outperforms the Pro model, sound quality that closely tracks our target curve, and full access to Samsung’s AI features. The compromises — no multipoint, no wireless charging, IP54 instead of IP57 — are reasonable for the $100 savings. The Galaxy Buds3 FE prove that Samsung’s best earbuds aren’t necessarily the most expensive ones. They’re the Goldilocks option that most Samsung phone owners should actually buy.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 FE review: FAQs