Samsung announces the Galaxy Buds Pro with Intelligent ANC, Head Tracking, and more

Samsung is holding the first Unpacked event for 2021 today, and the first of the products to be announced is the Galaxy Buds Pro, the firm’s next-generation truly wireless earbuds. The earbuds feature improved Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), which the company calls Intelligent ANC, head tracking for 360 degree sound, and more.

The Buds Pro features a new design that the firm says is built to fit more securely in the ear while also sealing ambient noise. As for audio quality, the earbuds come with an 11-millimeter woofer and a 6.5- millimeter tweeter for what the firm terms calls “deeper bass” and “crisp treble”.

The earbuds house three microphones and a Voice Pickup Unit (VPU) that can ascertain – using both hardware and software – when the user is speaking and adapt noise cancelation levels and even reduce music volume. The firm says that the buds can reduce the background noise by up to “99 percent”. The Buds Pro also comes with the company’s Wind Shield technology that uses a wind chamber and mesh arrangement to cut down on wind noise.

The offering also debuts a new head tracking thanks to Dolby Head Tracking. As the name suggests, the feature allows for the audio to move around with the user, always keeping the user in the center for an improved surround sound experience. This is similar to the Spatial Audio feature on AirPods Pro. However, this feature currently works with devices running One UI 3.1. There is also a new Auto Switch feature that brings seamless source switching between the Galaxy S21 and Galaxy Tab S7 series devices.

The South Korean giant promises up to eight hours of audio playback for the Buds Pro alone, and up to 20 hours when combined with the charging case. The devices can provide up to one hour of playback just with a five-minute charge, the firm adds. Other features include IPX7 water resistance rating and support for SmartThings Find.

The Galaxy Buds Pro will be available for purchase starting today at an asking price of $199. The color choices include Phantom Black, Phantom Silver, and Phantom Violet, to match with the colors of the Galaxy S21 series of devices.