AirPods Pro 3, Samsung's Galaxy Buds3 Pro, and Google's Pixel Buds Pro 2 are all premium noise-canceling earbuds chasing the same $200-250 buyer, but which one is actually worth it comes down almost entirely to which phone is already in your pocket. I rotated all three as my daily earbuds over six weeks — commuting, calls, gym sessions, and one genuinely loud flight — swapping every two weeks to judge each on its own rather than in a rushed side-by-side.
One honest note before the comparison: Samsung has since introduced a newer Galaxy Buds model, and the Buds3 Pro's price has dropped meaningfully as a result, which actually makes it a more interesting value pick now than it was at launch.
AirPods Pro 3: the best noise cancellation, if you're on iPhone
The AirPods Pro 3 launched at $249 and regularly sell for $199–$249 depending on retailer and timing. The headline upgrade is Adaptive ANC 2.0, processing environmental sound 96,000 times per second — Apple claims 2x the noise reduction of the Pro 2, and independent lab testing from SoundGuys backed that up, measuring roughly 90% ambient noise reduction, among the best any earbuds have tested. On a loud flight, the difference versus my old Pro 2 was genuinely noticeable, particularly with the low hum of jet engine noise.
The catch, and it's a significant one if you're not fully in Apple's world: Android support is weak, with several features simply unavailable outside iOS. Live Translation and heart rate sensing are genuinely useful additions for iPhone owners, and battery life reaches nearly 8 hours 42 minutes with ANC on per independent testing — but none of that matters if you're not carrying an iPhone, and the Pro 2 from the previous generation still holds up well and often sells for well under $200 if the newest ANC improvement isn't essential to you.
Galaxy Buds3 Pro: better value now than at launch, weaker ANC in testing
Samsung's Galaxy Buds3 Pro launched at $249.99 but has dropped meaningfully since a newer Galaxy Buds model arrived, with sales regularly bringing it under $200. The distinctive blade-stem design with light-up accents looks sharper than either competitor, and Galaxy AI powers both adaptive noise cancellation and a genuinely useful Real-Time Interpreter feature for live conversation translation. Sound quality leans toward punchy bass, which I liked for workouts but found occasionally fatiguing on longer listening sessions.
The weak point showed up clearly in both my own testing and independent lab measurements: ANC performance lagged behind both competitors here, with SoundGuys reporting they couldn't measure much meaningful noise reduction from the microphones in controlled testing. Battery life with ANC on capped around six hours, noticeably short of Pixel Buds Pro 2. If you're deep in the Samsung ecosystem and want Galaxy AI features tightly integrated with your phone and watch, that trade-off may be worth it — but on noise cancellation alone, this is the weakest of the three.
Pixel Buds Pro 2: the quiet all-rounder that beats Samsung at its own game
Google's Pixel Buds Pro 2 launched at $229, undercutting both competitors, and the redesign from the original Buds Pro brought a meaningfully smaller, lighter fit with a new wing that actually kept them secure during runs where the other two occasionally needed readjusting. Google's Gemini integration felt more genuinely useful in daily use than I expected from a bundled assistant feature, and independent testing found the Pixel Buds Pro 2 rejected background noise on calls more reliably than the Galaxy Buds3 Pro specifically.
In direct comparisons I'd read and largely confirmed myself, reviewers who tested both Samsung and Google's flagships came away preferring the Pixel Buds Pro 2 in nearly every category except the Galaxy's design flair. The trade-off is the same story as Apple's: some features lean on having a compatible Pixel phone for the deepest integration, though the core experience holds up reasonably well even outside that ecosystem.
AirPods Pro 3 vs Galaxy Buds3 Pro vs Pixel Buds Pro 2
| Category | AirPods Pro 3 | Galaxy Buds3 Pro | Pixel Buds Pro 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $199–$249 | ~$199 (post-discount) | ~$229 |
| ANC performance | Strongest tested, ~90% reduction | Weakest of the three in lab testing | Strong, best for call noise rejection |
| Battery (ANC on) | ~8h42m | ~6h | Longer than Galaxy Buds3 Pro |
| Unique feature | Live Translation, heart rate sensing | Real-Time Interpreter, blade lights | Gemini integration |
| Best ecosystem fit | iPhone | Samsung Galaxy phones | Pixel, works well broadly |
| Best for | iPhone owners wanting the strongest ANC | Samsung ecosystem users, design-focused buyers | Best overall value among Android options |
Which one should you actually buy?
If you're on iPhone, the AirPods Pro 3 remain the clear pick — the noise cancellation genuinely leads the category, and the ecosystem integration is unmatched for that use case. If you're on Android generally, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 outperformed the Galaxy Buds3 Pro across most of what I tested, from fit to call quality to ANC, even before accounting for Samsung's price now trailing behind a newer model. The Galaxy Buds3 Pro still makes sense if you're specifically invested in the Samsung ecosystem and want Galaxy AI features tied closely to your phone and watch, and its dropped price makes that trade-off more reasonable than it was at launch. For independent lab measurements backing up these impressions, SoundGuys' head-to-head testing of the Pixel Buds Pro 2 and Galaxy Buds3 Pro is worth a look before deciding between the two Android options.
FAQ
Do AirPods Pro 3 work well with Android phones?
Basic functionality works, but several key features are unavailable or limited outside iOS, making them a much stronger choice specifically for iPhone owners.
Which of these three has the best noise cancellation?
The AirPods Pro 3 tested strongest in independent lab measurements, with the Pixel Buds Pro 2 close behind, particularly for call-noise rejection; the Galaxy Buds3 Pro measured weakest of the three.
Is the Galaxy Buds3 Pro still worth buying now that a newer model exists?
It can be, mainly because its price has dropped meaningfully since the newer Galaxy Buds launched, making it a more reasonable value pick than it was at its original price.
What is Real-Time Interpreter on the Galaxy Buds3 Pro?
It's Samsung's Galaxy AI-powered live translation feature for in-person conversations, comparable in concept to Apple's Live Translation on the AirPods Pro 3.
Which earbuds have the longest battery life with ANC on?
The AirPods Pro 3 measured longest in independent testing at nearly 8 hours 42 minutes with ANC enabled, ahead of both the Pixel Buds Pro 2 and Galaxy Buds3 Pro.