Where they actually differ
The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Pro 3 | Samsung - Galaxy Buds 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery — buds | 8 h | 6 h |
| Battery — with case | 30 h | 24 h |
| Multipoint | false | true |
| Weight per bud | 5.3 g | 4.7 g |
Between the AirPods Pro 3 and Galaxy Buds 3, the AirPods Pro 3 comes out ahead in battery — buds / battery — with case, while the Galaxy Buds 3 wins on multipoint / weight per bud. Overall, the AirPods Pro 3 scores 78.3 and the Galaxy Buds 3 scores 74.4 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The AirPods Pro 3 edges ahead on the Mars Score (78.3 vs 74.4), but the 3.9-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
Pick the AirPods Pro 3 if your top frustration with your current device is running out of charge before the day ends — endurance is the lead spec here. The biggest gaps in its favor are battery — buds, battery — with case. The single most decisive one: Battery — buds — 33.33% more. 8 h vs 6 h.
Pick the Galaxy Buds 3 if audio quality and feature breadth (ANC, codecs, multipoint) are the lead criteria for your purchase. Its strongest claims are multipoint, weight per bud. The single most decisive one: Has Multipoint.
Both ship with comparable active noise cancellation, driver size, water resistance, so those specs do not separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: there is no wrong answer here — match the spec advantages to how you actually use the product. The Mars Score parity says both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Which should you buy: Apple - AirPods Pro 3 or Samsung - Galaxy Buds 3?
Apple - AirPods Pro 3 leads the current Mars Score by 3.9 points.The more useful decision is the trade-off behind that result: compare battery — buds, weight per bud against the way you will actually use the product.
Choose Apple - AirPods Pro 3 if…
Apple - AirPods Pro 3 has the measurable edge on battery life buds h, battery life case h.
Choose Samsung - Galaxy Buds 3 if…
Samsung - Galaxy Buds 3 has the measurable edge on has multipoint, weight per bud g.
This is a structured comparison of the published catalog values. It is not a claim of identical real-world performance across every workload; use the linked spec drill-downs and methodology page to inspect the inputs.
Why Apple - AirPods Pro 3 wins
- ▲Battery — buds — 33.33% more. 8 h vs 6 h.
- ▲Battery — with case — 25.00% more. 30 h vs 24 h.
Why Samsung - Galaxy Buds 3 wins
- ▲Has Multipoint.
- ▲Weight per bud — 0.60 g less. 4.7 vs 5.3.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Pro 3 | Samsung - Galaxy Buds 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | in-ear | openlead |
| Weight per bud | 5.3 g | 4.7 glead |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP57 | IP57 |
Audio
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Pro 3 | Samsung - Galaxy Buds 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Driver sizeⓘ | 11 mm | 11 mm |
| Active noise cancellationⓘ | true | true |
| Transparency mode | true | true |
| Spatial audioⓘ | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Pro 3 | Samsung - Galaxy Buds 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery — buds | 8 hlead | 6 h |
| Battery — with case | 30 hlead | 24 h |
| Wireless case chargingⓘ | true | true |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Pro 3 | Samsung - Galaxy Buds 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetoothⓘ | 5.3 | 5.4lead |
| Codecsⓘ | AAC,SBC | SSC,AAC,SBC |
| Multipointⓘ | false | truelead |
| In-ear detection | true | true |
Frequently asked
Which has longer battery, AirPods Pro 3 or Galaxy Buds 3?+
AirPods Pro 3 lasts 8h per charge vs 6h.
Do AirPods Pro 3 or Galaxy Buds 3 support multipoint?+
Galaxy Buds 3 supports multipoint pairing; AirPods Pro 3 does not.
Which has ANC, AirPods Pro 3 or Galaxy Buds 3?+
Both models have active noise cancellation.