Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro video leak provides closer look at the AirPods Pro rivals

Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus
The Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus. (Image credit: Future)

The Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro are said to be the next true wireless earbuds from the South Korean company, and as we approach their expected launch in January, a new video leak has given us our best look yet at the new AirPods Pro rivals. 

A 360-degree video of the new buds was posted to Voice by reputable leaker Evan Blass (who gave us our first look at the Galaxy Buds Pro via some leaked renders), letting us see the buds from every angle:

Based on the video and those previously leaked renders, the Galaxy Buds Pro will look more like the the Galaxy Buds Plus, rather than the bean-shaped Galaxy Buds Live that launched a few months ago. 

Saying that, Samsung has retained the square-ish charging case from its previous wireless earbuds, as well as doing away with ear fins to hold them in place in your ears.

A new rival for the AirPods Pro

The new true wireless earbuds could prove a new rival for the Apple AirPods Pro and the Sony WF-1000XM3, with rumors that they'll come with active noise cancellation. 

While the previous Galaxy Buds Live did offer noise cancellation, their semi-open design meant that the tech wasn't particularly effective; it looks like the Galaxy Buds Pro come with silicone ear tips, which should provide a far better seal and hopefully, better noise cancellation. According to SamMobile, the Ambient Mode feature will also be improved, which allows environmental noise to passthrough the buds, so you can be aware of your surroundings.

The buds are also said to come with AKG-tune audio, a longer battery life than their predecessors, support for Bluetooth 5.1, and USB-C charging. Those specs certainly sound promising, but Samsung's mixed history when it comes to audio devices means we're tempering our expectations; the Galaxy Buds Plus, for example, were let down by limited audio codec support and a disappointing IPX2 water-resistance rating.

Of course, we'll have to wait and see until the Galaxy Buds Pro are actually launched – but happily, it looks like we won't be waiting long. 

The new wireless earbuds are expected to be announced alongside the Samsung Galaxy S21, which is rumored to be launched on January 14, 2020.

Olivia Tambini

Olivia was previously TechRadar's Senior Editor - Home Entertainment, covering everything from headphones to TVs. Based in London, she's a popular music graduate who worked in the music industry before finding her calling in journalism. She's previously been interviewed on BBC Radio 5 Live on the subject of multi-room audio, chaired panel discussions on diversity in music festival lineups, and her bylines include T3, Stereoboard, What to Watch, Top Ten Reviews, Creative Bloq, and Croco Magazine. Olivia now has a career in PR.