Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 FE vs Samsung Galaxy Buds 3: A tale of two fits

If you’re deciding between Samsung’s latest unsealed buds and the newest instalment of the Fan Edition, you’re really picking a philosophy: the Galaxy Buds 3 chase that AirPods-like, nothing-in-the-canal feel, while the Galaxy Buds 3 FE return to sealed tips for fit security, stronger isolation, and more consistent performance. In our testing, the Buds 3 can sound good and feel featherlight when the fit behaves, but they shift and pop loose unpredictably, whereas the Buds 3 FE feel more premium, stay put, and deliver a “flagship-lite” experience at a friendlier price.

Both sets lean into the Samsung ecosystem, but they land differently in day-to-day use. The Buds 3 bring wireless charging, IP57 durability, and AI features, yet their unsealed, lollipop-stem design undermines stability and ANC. The Buds 3 FE skip wireless charging and Multipoint, but the sealed tips, excellent ANC, and balanced tuning make them the safer pick for most listeners, especially if you own a Samsung phone.

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

The Galaxy Buds 3 look and wear a lot like Apple’s original AirPods: unsealed earbuds with a lollipop stem that rests between your tragus and antitragus. I had a miserable time keeping them seated; they’d sit okay at first, then start popping out after ~20 minutes with no provocation, and a strong pinch on the blade stem could dislodge them again. The case is tiny with a clear lid, offers bottom-oriented USB-C and wireless charging, and the IP57 water and dust resistance rating sounds gym-ready, if only the fit didn’t constantly change and trigger the wear sensor to drop ANC. That’s the trade-off with unsealed earbuds like the Buds 3 and base model AirPods: they can feel more comfortable for long listening sessions, but the lack of a seal means weaker bass and less consistent sound quality.

The newer Galaxy Buds 3 FE feel just as premium as the Buds 3 Pro and better than the standard Buds 3, thanks to the sealed ear tips and understated matte black finish. At just 5g per bud, they’re comfortable for hour-long sessions. You get IP54 for workouts and rain, an identical-sized pocketable case (no wireless charging here), and familiar pinch/swipe controls that need a firm squeeze but, crucially, don’t knock the earbuds loose once you’ve set the fit.

Do the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 FE or Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 have more features?

With the Buds 3, you can access ANC toggles, EQ presets, AI features, and updates through the Samsung Galaxy Wearable app, and when paired with a current Samsung phone, you get access to a suite of AI features like Interpreter, a live translator. The app asks for a dizzying set of permissions, but it’s the gateway to the advanced stuff and firmware updates that can run in the background.

It’s a similar story with the Buds 3 FE: the $149 price only makes sense if you use the app. Without it, you’re left with basic Bluetooth playback and miss out on extras like six EQ presets, a custom 9-band EQ, ANC and ambient controls, Find My Earbuds, and AI features like Gemini voice, Interpreter, and Bixby. Auto Switch allows you to switch seamlessly between your Galaxy devices, which work fine in lieu of true Bluetooth Multipoint if you’re deep into the Samsung ecosystem.

Indeed, neither pair of earbuds have support for true Bluetooth Multipoint, nor do they work well without the Samsung Wearables app, which is only available for Android devices. iPhone users are unfortunately limited to basic Bluetooth connectivity, with no EQ, ANC controls, or AI features.

How do the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 FE and Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 connect?

Both the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 FE and the older Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 connect over Bluetooth 5.4 and support SBC, AAC, and Samsung Seamless Codec. If you’re a Samsung phone user, Seamless is a real plus here, as it promises near-lossless quality for current Samsung phones. With both buds, you can pair via Fast Pair/Swift Pair or manually with the button on the case bottom, and LE Audio readiness and Auracast broadcast listening add future-proofing, even if you won’t use them daily yet.

Is battery life better on the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 FE or Samsung Galaxy Buds 3?

In our standardized battery test, we measured the Galaxy Buds 3 at 4 hours 56 minutes with ANC on and 6 hours 20 minutes with ANC off. That’s squarely average: fine for commuting and work blocks, but not for long-haul flights. Samsung doesn’t list a fast-charge claim, but the small cells mean a short top-up yields a meaningful listening bump. The Galaxy Buds 3 FE come in at a similar 4 hours 26 minutes with ANC on and just under 6 hours with ANC off. That’s also average and enough for daily routines, but similarly not something I’d rely on for particularly long listening sessions.

Samsung doesn’t list a fast-charge claim for either pair of earbuds, but like many true-wireless earbuds, the small battery cells mean that even short top-ups can yield a meaningful listening bump.

Do the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 FE or Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 block noise better?

The Buds 3 struggle because unsealed earbuds can’t rely on passive isolation, and their fit shifts constantly. In the lab, even our anatomically realistic test head couldn’t maintain a stable position without DIY “fins,” and in real use, the wear sensor would occasionally decide an earbud wasn’t in-ear and disable ANC on that side. Even when perfectly positioned, attenuation is poor: the Buds 3 reduce the loudness of outside noise by an average of 35% with ANC enabled. The ANC performance is nowhere near earbuds with proper sealed eartips.

The Buds 3 FE, on the other hand, are excellent noise cancellers, owing in large part to their sealed design. With a good seal, passive isolation alone blocks out 66% of outside noise, and enabling ANC reduces the loudness of outside noise by an average of 86%. This puts them among the best ANC earbuds you can buy, and a whole league up from the Buds 3.

Though the Buds 3 FE lack the adaptive ANC features of the Buds 3, I didn’t particularly miss it, as the 3 FE’s baseline ANC performance is that strong, handling wind better than both the Buds 3 and other true wireless earbuds.

Do the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 FE sound better than the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3?

Sound on the Buds 3 is a tale of two fits. When the fit is good, the single 11mm driver delivers a respectable, consumer-friendly balance, and the Treble Boost EQ can bring out detail in cymbals. But the moment the buds slide back from the canal, as they often do, the bass collapses, treble gets shouty, and mixes thin out. In other words, good in ideal conditions, highly variable in typical ones.

By contrast, the Buds 3 FE deliver more consistent sound quality that most people will enjoy. If you value consistent sound quality, the FE are the clear pick.

Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Scores (MDAQS)

For the Buds 3 with an ideal fit, MDAQS lands at ratings of Timbre 4.6, Distortion 4.2, Immersiveness 4.0, and Overall 4.5. This means that, according to our virtual panel of listeners, most people will enjoy the sound of these earbuds.

With a typical, semi-dislodged fit, though, the score craters to Overall 2.8 (Timbre 3.2, Distortion 3.1, Immersiveness 2.0); Bass Boost EQ can lift that “typical” result to 3.6, but it’s still only okay.

The Buds 3 FE post a strong Overall 4.3 (Timbre 3.8, Distortion 4.1, Immersiveness 4.0). The overall score is dragged down slightly by the low Timbre score, but overall, most people are likely to enjoy the sound of these earbuds, with the added bonus that they don’t suffer from the same inconsistencies of unsealed earbuds.

Objective Measurements

Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 ideal fit:

Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 typical fit:

Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 FE:

Our measurements show that if you get a good fit with the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3, the sound quality is similar to that of the Galaxy Buds 3 FE. That said, if the Buds 3 slide out of your ears, the bass drops off a cliff.

Do the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 FE or Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 have a better microphone?

You can use either for calls, and both microphones perform well in ideal environments. The caveat for both is wind. The Buds 3 FE handle wind notably better than many earbuds, but in very windy conditions you may still have to repeat yourself. With the Buds 3, fit shifts can also trip the wear sensor and mess with stability mid-call, which is frustrating if you’re moving around. You can listen to the microphone samples of both earbuds below:

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

Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 microphone demo (Ideal conditions):

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

Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 microphone demo (Windy conditions):

Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 FE vs Samsung Galaxy Buds 3: Price and availability

The Galaxy Buds 3 carry an MSRP of $179.99 and were released in 2024. The Galaxy Buds 3 FE cost $149 and were released in 2025.

Should you get the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 FE or Samsung Galaxy Buds 3?

Choose the Galaxy Buds3 only if you know unsealed earbuds fit you well—think “original AirPods fit me perfectly”—and you specifically want a canal-free feel with wireless charging. Even then, expect to babysit the fit, and don’t expect class-leading ANC or consistent sound once sweat and movement enter the chat.

For everyone else, get the Galaxy Buds 3 FE. The sealed tips solve the core stability problem, ANC performance ranks among the best, and the feature set hits the sweet spot for $149. In my testing, they’re the Goldilocks option in Samsung’s lineup—the buds most people should actually buy.

If you’re on the market for wireless earbuds, though, these aren’t your only two options. There are plenty of earbuds on the market that may better suit your needs. Check out our article on the best wireless earbuds for some of our top picks.