Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 and Galaxy Buds 3 Pro right earbud in fingers
C. Scott Brown / Android Authority
It’s been weeks since Samsung launched its new flagship wireless earbuds, and a lot has happened since then. Sales of the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are now suspended, but how did it get here? Let’s take a moment to analyze what happened, the issues customers are experiencing, whether shipments will resume, and more.
What’s going on with the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro?
Cases for Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 and Galaxy Buds 3 Pro with earphones inside
C. Scott Brown / Android Authority
Just over a week after their launch, the tech giant has decided to pull its new premium earbuds from sale. Currently, customers cannot pre-order the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro from retailers like Best Buy or Amazon. On Samsung’s website, the shipping date has been changed from July 24 to August 28.
According to Samsung, in a statement provided to Android Authority (read full statement) Quality control issues are behind this decision. As a result, the company has temporarily suspended shipments to its retail partners. The company also issued a statement to buyers in its domestic market, apologizing for the quality issues, while offering exchanges or refunds.
Samsung said it will conduct “a complete quality check before shipping to consumers.” It also said that any customers who already own the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro should contact Samsung or visit their nearest Samsung service center if they encounter any issues.
What problems do customers encounter?
When people started getting their hands on the company’s new premium earbuds, some issues were discovered. These issues started with the ear tips, but more issues have been discovered since then.
One of the most talked about issues so far is the fragile eartips. Multiple reports on Reddit and YouTube claim that the eartips can tear when trying to remove them from the earbuds. The issue appears to be related to the hard plastic ring at the base of the silicone eartips that locks onto the earbuds for a snug fit. However, Samsung has published a support page that shows users how to safely remove the eartips. Users can also contact Samsung for a replacement if their eartips have already been damaged.
In recent days, one of South Korea’s top tech testers posted a video listing the various issues he discovered. Known as ITSub on YouTube, the tester purchased ten pairs of Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. Here are the issues he discovered:
The surfaces of the earpieces were not aligned with the contour.
The bottom of the stems had uneven stitching.
The headphones were placed at different heights in the case.
Some cases had a sticker on the hinge that was not present on other cases.
The eartips were already covered in dust before they were removed from the case.
Blue and orange dye residue was found on the surface of the earphones of two pairs.
One of the earbuds had a chip or dent near the LED area.
The top of the LED light is rounded on most of them, but there were two cases where the LED light appeared to be cut straight across.
You can see some of these issues illustrated in the screenshots below. The first image shows the right earbud sitting higher than the left. In the second image, we see uneven coloring around the bottom of the stem. The next image shows an issue with the LED, while the last image shows the blue dye residue on the ear tip.
The sound guysOur sister site, also discovered an issue with active noise cancellation (ANC) and the new Siren Detect feature. Siren Detect is designed to allow sirens and alarms to break through the ANC so users can remain aware of their surroundings. However, the feature was found to be largely redundant as the earbuds allow all sorts of intrusive noise to interrupt the listening experience. After putting the earbuds through some testing, they found that the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro’s ANC is only able to block out 76% of external sound. For comparison, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro can block out up to 84% of external noise.
How many people are affected?
The Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro on a table.
Hadlee Simons / Android Authority
It’s important to note that the issues only seem to affect the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. There appear to have been no reports regarding the base Galaxy Buds 3 model.
As mentioned earlier, there have been many reports on Reddit and YouTube. It’s unclear how widespread these issues are, as availability is still quite limited.
In ITSub’s video, out of the ten Buds 3 Pro the YouTuber purchased, eight were white and two were silver. It appears that the issues discovered in the video were with the white variant. According to the reviewer, three of the ten units had build quality issues severe enough to warrant being returned to Samsung.
Will the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro start shipping again?
Samsung said it has “suspended shipments of Galaxy Buds 3 Pro devices to distribution channels.” There’s no need to worry too much, though. The suspension of shipments is just a temporary measure that the company is putting in place to give it time to assess the manufacturing quality issues with the earbuds. Samsung is expected to resume shipments as soon as this is completed. On its own website, the manufacturer lists August 28 as the new shipping date, indicating that it plans to resume shipments eventually.
Can I get a refund for my order?
Not all customers have issues with the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, but if you do have an issue with your earbuds, Samsung offers a few solutions. The company recommends returning your earbuds to a store for a replacement. But if you just want your money back, Samsung also offers refunds.
Our opinion
Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro with Voice Control App
Ryan Haines / Android Authority
When Samsung first announced the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, the company took a lot of flak (and rightly so) for copying the design of Apple’s AirPods. While not a direct imitation, they do draw heavily on the Cupertino company’s design philosophy, so Samsung set itself up to be challenged right from the start.
While there aren’t really any differing opinions on performance, aside from the lack of ANC, build quality issues can’t be ignored. Plus, it seems like more and more issues were discovered before Samsung finally decided to temporarily halt shipments.
Overall, we would say that this launch has been a nightmare for a product that has undergone a radical design change. Adding fuel to the fire, these earbuds are supposed to be Samsung’s flagship earbuds. A recall due to poor build quality of its premium product is more than embarrassing for a company that has been in this business for years.
Do you have any advice? Talk to us about it! Email our team at news@androidauthority.com. You can remain anonymous or get credit for the information, it’s your choice.
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