Galaxy Buds 3 FE: Samsung's new "Fan Edition" earbuds cost 150 euros

With the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 FE, the manufacturer is delivering the second generation of its FE series earbuds, which stand for more affordable versions of the top products and were formerly known as the "Fan Edition." The new earbuds are visually similar to the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, but the manufacturer's recommended retail price is slightly lower than the Pro versions launched last year, which briefly cost just under 180 euros. However, the street price of the Buds 3 Pro is now lower than the recommended retail price of the new FE version.

Galaxy Buds 3 FE with weaker ANC than the Pros

Even though the design of the FE model is reminiscent of the Pros, Samsung has equipped the more affordable earbuds with weaker active noise cancellation (ANC), among other things: the Buds 3 Pro support ANC up to 45 db, while the new Buds 3 FE attenuate up to 32 db. This means that the Pros let less noise through. Like the Pros, the Buds 3 FE have silicone pads that achieve passive noise suppression. However, the FE predecessors already had this.

The integrated 11 mm speakers are also a reduced solution compared to the Pros with two-way speakers. The latter also support a 24-bit sample rate for higher-quality sound, but not all music streaming services offer this higher quality—Spotify users are left out.

In terms of operation and battery life, the FEs are largely identical to the Pro model: they are controlled using swipe and press gestures on the earbud stems. The battery life of the Buds 3 FE with 53 mAh batteries in the earbuds and 515 mAh in the charging case is the same for both. Playback is said to last up to six hours with ANC or up to 24 hours with recharging via the case. With ANC switched off, the FE model is said to last eight hours longer than the Pro earbuds, for which the manufacturer claims up to seven hours. Unlike the Pro model's charging case, the FE model's charging case does not support wireless charging.

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In terms of water and dust protection, the Buds 3 FE are protected to IP57; the Pros are better protected against the ingress of water with IP57. Data is transmitted via Bluetooth 5.4; the Buds 3 FE support the AAC and SBC codecs as well as Samsung's own SSC (Samsung Seamless Codec).

Galaxy Buds 3 FE cost 150 euros

The Buds 3 FE do not support classic Bluetooth multipoint, with which the output source is automatically and seamlessly switched regardless of the manufacturer of the product. The earbuds can only select the audio source via Samsung's "Auto Switch," which requires Samsung's own Galaxy devices.

The Galaxy Buds 3 FE will be released on September 5 in the color variants light grey and black. With an RRP of 149 euros, the Buds are no longer as cheap as the first generation, for which Samsung charged 110 euros. In addition, the better-equipped Galaxy Buds 3 Pro (RRP 180 euros) are cheaper than the new FE buds. Some retailers charge less than 130 euros less for the Pro version. We assume that the street price of the Buds 3 FE is likely to fall relatively quickly.

The manufacturer's FE models—and smartphones such as the recent S24 FE—have a problem. The usually better-equipped models presented months in advance have generally fallen in price to such an extent that the FE devices are not a viable option, at least at the time of presentation. Only after some delay do the FEs become cheaper than the top models in stores, and only then do they become an interesting option.

(afl)