Samsung decided to copy the AirPods Pro and Apple Watch Ultra with its Galaxy Buds 3 Pro and Galaxy Watch Ultra designs this year, which upset the company’s chairman. Reports from Korea said that the Galaxy Buds 3 quality issues that forced Samsung to postpone the launch also played a factor.
I reviewed the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, which reinforced my initial idea that copying the AirPods stem design is the best choice here. While I loved the sound quality across music playback and calls, I didn’t like the stems that much. I also saw design imperfections in the unit I reviewed.
It turns out there’s another thing to worry about when it comes to the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro design. Samsung copied the worst thing about the AirPods, a design “flaw” not even Apple has fixed.
You can’t easily repair the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. By that, I mean you won’t be able to have the battery serviced. You’ll have to buy new earphones every time the battery health degrades so much that you can’t use the Galaxy Buds anymore.
As a longtime AirPods user, I have experienced battery health issues. I went to an Apple retail store to have the battery serviced, and I got a discount for a new pair of AirPods. It was either that or buying new buds and a case independently.
That’s how Apple handles AirPods battery replacement, and I can’t wait for Apple to find a way to fix this design issue. I bet Mother Nature also can’t wait for AirPods to get an eco-friendlier design.
Samsung has yet to start shipping Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, and it will be a couple of years before you need a battery replacement. The same goes for the regular Galaxy Buds 3, by the way, which have a similar design. However, the first iFixit teardown of a non-Pro version of the Galaxy Buds 3 is here, giving us the bad news.
Unlike previous versions that were easier to repair, the Galaxy Buds 3 will be a nightmare to disassemble and put back together. There’s a lot of glue inside the earbuds that will make taking them apart an almost impossible task. I’m not even suggesting that the user should attempt repairing the Buds 3/Pro. I’m talking about well-trained professionals who can take electronics apart with ease.
That’s bad news for battery replacements and any sort of repairs the Galaxy Buds 3 and Buds 3 Pro might need along the way. Hopefully, that won’t be the case, and you’ll get to enjoy your Galaxy Buds 3 earphones for as long as possible.
It’s unclear what happens when the battery health degrades. We’ll have to wait and see how Samsung deals with the problem. But considering what Apple does with AirPods battery service, I don’t expect Samsung to be able to replace batteries. Don’t be surprised when you’re told to buy a new pair of Galaxy Buds instead.
There is one piece of good news in all of this. The Galaxy Buds 3 and Buds 3 Pro cases will be easier to service. The teardown below shows that it’s easy to dismantle the case and replace the battery. It’s the two buds that are a huge problem.
