Between the Galaxy Buds 3 and Galaxy Buds FE, the Galaxy Buds 3 comes out ahead in spatial audio and weight per bud, while the Galaxy Buds FE wins on battery — with case. Overall, the Galaxy Buds 3 scores 64.5 and the Galaxy Buds FE scores 64.5 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are evenly matched on the broad strokes, with the decision sitting on which individual spec advantages weigh more for your use.
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 spatial audio, weight per bud, water resistance.
Pick the Galaxy Buds FE if you care most about battery — with case. Its strongest claims are battery — with case.
Both ship with comparable battery — buds, active noise cancellation, driver size, so those specs don't 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 tells you both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Why Samsung - Galaxy Buds 3 wins
- ▲Has Spatial audio.
- ▲Weight per bud — 0.90 g less. 4.7 vs 5.6.
- ▲Water resistance: IP57 (vs IPX2).
Why Samsung - Galaxy Buds FE wins
- ▲Battery — with case — 25.00% more. 30 h vs 24 h.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy Buds 3 | Samsung - Galaxy Buds FE |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | openlead | in-ear |
| Weight per bud | 4.7 glead | 5.6 g |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP57lead | IPX2 |
Audio
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy Buds 3 | Samsung - Galaxy Buds FE |
|---|---|---|
| Driver sizeⓘ | 11 mm | 11 mm |
| Active noise cancellationⓘ | true | true |
| Transparency mode | true | true |
| Spatial audioⓘ | truelead | false |
Battery
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy Buds 3 | Samsung - Galaxy Buds FE |
|---|---|---|
| Battery — buds | 6 h | 6 h |
| Battery — with case | 24 h | 30 hlead |
| Wireless case chargingⓘ | truelead | false |
Connectivity
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy Buds 3 | Samsung - Galaxy Buds FE |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetoothⓘ | 5.4lead | 5.2 |
| Codecs | SSC,AAC,SBC | AAC,SBC |
| Multipointⓘ | true | true |
| In-ear detection | true | true |
Frequently asked
Which has longer battery, Galaxy Buds 3 or Galaxy Buds FE?+
Galaxy Buds FE lasts 6h per charge vs 6h.
Do Galaxy Buds 3 or Galaxy Buds FE support multipoint?+
Both support multipoint pairing.
Which has ANC, Galaxy Buds 3 or Galaxy Buds FE?+
Both have active noise cancellation.
Spec-level deep dives
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