Where they actually differ
The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy Buds 3 | Nothing - Ear (3) |
|---|---|---|
| Battery — with case | 24 h | 40 h |
| Battery — buds | 6 h | 8.5 h |
| Spatial audio | true | false |
| Water resistance | IP57 | IP54 |
| Weight per bud | 4.7 g | 4.6 g |
Between the Galaxy Buds 3 and Ear (3), the Galaxy Buds 3 comes out ahead in spatial audio / water resistance, while the Ear (3) wins on battery — with case / battery — buds. Overall, the Galaxy Buds 3 scores 74.4 and the Ear (3) scores 79.8 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The Ear (3) edges ahead on the Mars Score (74.4 vs 79.8), but the 5.4-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 spatial audio, water resistance. The single most decisive one: Has Spatial audio.
Pick the Ear (3) 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 — with case, battery — buds, weight per bud. The single most decisive one: Battery — with case — 66.67% more. 40 h vs 24 h.
Both ship with comparable active noise cancellation, driver size, multipoint, so those specs do not separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the Ear (3) is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Which should you buy: Samsung - Galaxy Buds 3 or Nothing - Ear (3)?
Nothing - Ear (3) leads the current Mars Score by 5.4 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 Samsung - Galaxy Buds 3 if…
Samsung - Galaxy Buds 3 has the measurable edge on has spatial audio, ip rating.
Choose Nothing - Ear (3) if…
Nothing - Ear (3) has the measurable edge on battery life case h, battery life buds h, 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 Samsung - Galaxy Buds 3 wins
- ▲Has Spatial audio.
- ▲Water resistance: IP57 (vs IP54).
Why Nothing - Ear (3) wins
- ▲Battery — with case — 66.67% more. 40 h vs 24 h.
- ▲Battery — buds — 41.67% more. 8.5 h vs 6 h.
- ▲Weight per bud — 0.10 g less. 4.6 vs 4.7.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy Buds 3 | Nothing - Ear (3) |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | openlead | in-ear |
| Weight per bud | 4.7 g | 4.6 glead |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP57lead | IP54 |
Audio
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy Buds 3 | Nothing - Ear (3) |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Nothing - Ear (3) |
|---|---|---|
| Battery — buds | 6 h | 8.5 hlead |
| Battery — with case | 24 h | 40 hlead |
| Wireless case chargingⓘ | true | true |
Connectivity
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy Buds 3 | Nothing - Ear (3) |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetoothⓘ | 5.4lead | 5.3 |
| Codecsⓘ | SSC,AAC,SBC | LDAC,LHDC 5.0,AAC,SBC |
| Multipointⓘ | true | true |
| In-ear detection | true | true |
Frequently asked
Which has longer battery, Galaxy Buds 3 or Ear (3)?+
Ear (3) lasts 8.5h per charge vs 6h.
Do Galaxy Buds 3 or Ear (3) support multipoint?+
Both support multipoint pairing.
Which has ANC, Galaxy Buds 3 or Ear (3)?+
Both models have active noise cancellation.