Between the Galaxy Buds 3 and LinkBuds Open, the Galaxy Buds 3 comes out ahead in battery — with case and active noise cancellation, while the LinkBuds Open wins on battery — buds. Overall, the Galaxy Buds 3 scores 64.5 and the LinkBuds Open scores 69.5 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The LinkBuds Open edges ahead on the Mars Score (64.5 vs 69.5), but the 5.0-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
Pick the Galaxy Buds 3 if audio quality and feature breadth (ANC, codecs, multipoint) are the lead criteria for your purchase. The biggest gaps in its favor are battery — with case, active noise cancellation, water resistance, among others.
Pick the LinkBuds Open if your top frustration with your current device is running out of charge before the day ends — endurance is the lead spec here. Its strongest claims are battery — buds.
Both ship with comparable driver size, spatial audio, multipoint, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the LinkBuds Open is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Why Samsung - Galaxy Buds 3 wins
- ▲Battery — with case — 9.09% more. 24 h vs 22 h.
- ▲Has Active noise cancellation.
- ▲Water resistance: IP57 (vs IPX4).
- ▲Weight per bud — 0.40 g less. 4.7 vs 5.1.
Why Sony - LinkBuds Open wins
- ▲Battery — buds — 33.33% more. 8 h vs 6 h.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy Buds 3 | Sony - LinkBuds Open |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | open | open |
| Weight per bud | 4.7 glead | 5.1 g |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP57lead | IPX4 |
Audio
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy Buds 3 | Sony - LinkBuds Open |
|---|---|---|
| Driver sizeⓘ | 11 mm | 11 mm |
| Active noise cancellationⓘ | truelead | false |
| Transparency mode | truelead | false |
| Spatial audioⓘ | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy Buds 3 | Sony - LinkBuds Open |
|---|---|---|
| Battery — buds | 6 h | 8 hlead |
| Battery — with case | 24 hlead | 22 h |
| Wireless case chargingⓘ | truelead | false |
Connectivity
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy Buds 3 | Sony - LinkBuds Open |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetoothⓘ | 5.4lead | 5.3 |
| Codecs | SSC,AAC,SBC | AAC,SBC |
| Multipointⓘ | true | true |
| In-ear detection | truelead | false |
Frequently asked
Which has longer battery, Galaxy Buds 3 or LinkBuds Open?+
LinkBuds Open lasts 8h per charge vs 6h.
Do Galaxy Buds 3 or LinkBuds Open support multipoint?+
Both support multipoint pairing.
Which has ANC, Galaxy Buds 3 or LinkBuds Open?+
Galaxy Buds 3 has ANC; LinkBuds Open does not.
Spec-level deep dives
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