Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Samsung Galaxy Note20 / Note20 Ultra
- Thread starter kkh786
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
In a separate note (sorry, no pun intended), I mentioned briefly that I was giving the Galaxy Buds Live a test drive. Don’t think an entire new thread is warranted and as they were launched simultaneously with the Note phones, figured I’d share a quick update on my experience with the ‘Beans.’
Well, processed my Amazon return today. They are quite good but just didn’t offer me any better value over my AirPods Pro. If I didn’t live mostly in the Apple ecosystem and was using a Samsung phone, I’d likely choose them over anything else.
The Good:
The Just OK:
- Very comfortable and pretty secure fit. Probably wouldn’t work out using them but otherwise could wear them for long stretches of time with no issue.
- Good battery life comparable to AirPods though not as good as previous Galaxy Buds
- Super small case—smallest I’ve used yet but still carries a days worth of charge
The Not So Good:
- Sound quality is fair. AirPods Pro sound better, like due to the sealed in-ear tips vs. open style of Buds Live
- Mic quality appears to be just OK. I had a few people say it sounded less clear and more synthetic than using phone mic or my AirPods Pro. Considering the mics are basically recessed in your ear, this wasn’t surprising.
All that being said, they are probably the overall best value at their price point. They’re better than regular AirPods in every aspect except the benefits afforded to Apple users because of the H1 chip. They’re smaller than anything else I’ve tried, are quite comfortable and sound decent, with good battery life. But for me, the extra benefits afforded by the AirPods Pro are worth the extra $80.
- Touch controls are inconsistent and/or too easy to accidentally trigger. The Buds are really just a smooth bean in your ear with no tactile cues so you’re either guessing wear to touch or accidentally triggering something while fiddling with them
- Don’t switch between devices consistently. I paired them to my iPhone, iPad, Mac and Pixel 4 XL. Sometimes it would take repeated attempts to connect or I’d have to actively first disconnect from the previous device before they’d connect to another one. Also, they rely on BT LE to connect to the Galaxy Buds app on the iPhone, iPad or Pixel and many times they wouldn’t re-establish that connection so I couldn’t manage their settings. I’m guessing this is less of an issue on Samsung devices but it was annoying when trying to use with my collection of devices.
- The ANC is generally not that effective. I could barely discern the difference when it was activated. Not sure why Samsung choose to try to add it to an open design because it really doesn’t do much at all.
[automerge]1597283285[/automerge]
Gotcha, haven’t been in that thread in a while.
), I mentioned briefly that I was giving the Galaxy Buds Live a test drive. Don’t think an entire new thread is warranted and as they were launched simultaneously with the Note phones, figured I’d share a quick update on my experience with the ‘Beans.’Interesting run down. I’m interested how they switch between note and tab S7 plus for example. I wouldn’t expect them to do so with apple devices which is why I think anybody on android go stick to android made buds.
ANC certainly don’t seem to be that great and air pods pro will be my go to for that bit surprised on sound as many reviews have said the sound is better than air pods pro
Mine are suppose to arrive with the phone on 21st so will see
That mystic bronze colour is lush
[automerge]1597314287[/automerge]
That mystic bronze colour is lush
I went with black just because I normally get sick of the novelty colors quickly but it does look nice!
This camera bump looks like it swallowed every other camera bump on the market & is suffering some serious bloating.
I expect them to switch better inside the Samsung ecosystem as well but for comparison, when I was using a Pixel 3XL, Pixelbook and a Mac last year, I was still using my AirPods with them all and rarely, if ever, had any issues switching between those devices.
In regards to sound, I can only give my anecdotal experience. I played the same songs while repeatedly switching between the two and while the difference isn’t significant, I found the Buds more muddled—I could more easily differentiate different instruments listening with the AirPods Pro and found the overall sound more balanced.
The Buds Live have the advantage of being able to customize the sound profile with EQ presets in the Galaxy Buds app but I found all of them, save for Dynamic, to be lacking or compromised in some way.
To my ears they sounded better than regular AirPods, but not the Pros. And again, I found them to be pretty damn good overall and they’d absolutely be my choice after the AirPods Pro or likely if I was using less Apple hardware.
I think the bronze is the worst colour.
The copper trend died about two years ago in the UK now everyone has kitchen accessories filled with that colour.
For me, the white and black look great, but Samsung have failed to matte the back of them? Interesting choice.
Google got roasted for doing that on the white and orange Pixel 4's but not the black!
More Samsung inconsistency for the Note 20.
The copper trend died about two years ago in the UK now everyone has kitchen accessories filled with that colour.
For me, the white and black look great, but Samsung have failed to matte the back of them? Interesting choice.
Google got roasted for doing that on the white and orange Pixel 4's but not the black!
More Samsung inconsistency for the Note 20.
Just looked it up & that is some serious bump. We got a couple of heavyweight bumps here for sure.
The Galaxy’s were known for their flush cameras so seeing this is a bit of a shock.
I can’t watch the flossy review because it’ll talk me into buying it[automerge]1597314287[/automerge]
That mystic bronze colour is lush
You best stay away from his real review lol
he always shows off all the features and is a great way to suck you in and make you feel your purchase is justified.
No doubt he will bash the iphone and say and here is a real phone lol
Aesthetically it definitely looks more refined on the Note 20 Ultra but there is no sugarcoating it--it's massive, in size and thickness. Adding a case to protect it and even out the wobble will make it a seriously thick device to hold.
[automerge]1597314287[/automerge]
That mystic bronze colour is lush
I'm generally not a fan of folio/wallet style cases but both of the Samsung versions Flossy showed off are pretty slick...love how you can get quick a bit of info and even answer calls without opening them.
Samsung have been doing these S-view cases for years. It was like a precursor to the AOD. I think the first phone I had one for was the S4 but they might have had these even before then.
For me, this is by far the best looking, and most premium looking phone on the market. If I wasn't planning on getting the Fold 3 next year, I would be all over the Mystic White. Surprisingly, many of the reviewers have actually found the copper colour to be very nice, and expected to hate it. I even want the Tab S7+, but again, my plans for the Fold 3 are making me second guess the purchase of a Tablet.
That and anytime I get a Galaxy phone, the first day or so with that screen is the best thing ever.
Why do the S20U & Note 20U have camera humps that stick out so much? I know they have a periscope lens which might account for some, but so did the P30 Pro and that was nowhere near as much.
It seems to be a trend now to make ugly camera bumps. The one on the latest iPhones is an eyesore too.
I get that they're going to be bigger than they used to be because of the number of cameras, tech inside etc. But you'd think they'd want to make them as minimalist as possible. Samsungs in particular just seem much thicker than they need to be.
Why ? when I had a touch fault with my front screen I called Samsung 24 hour support line near midnight, they came the next day, picked up my phone gave me a lone phone and returned my repaired phone back the next day, try that with Apple LOL