I hated the Galaxy Buds 3 Professional, however the Buds 4 Professional would possibly win me again

I’ve had Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 3 Professional since they had been launched over a 12 months in the past, and whereas there’s a good quantity I like about them, they’ve largely stayed put in my workplace closet as an alternative of being my go-to earbuds of alternative.

Why? Due to their design. Samsung made a number of questionable design decisions with the Buds 3 Professional, they usually add up in a means that makes utilizing the earbuds extra annoying than fulfilling.

Fortunately, it seems like Samsung is popping over a brand new leaf. Android Authority lately shared an unique first take a look at the upcoming Galaxy Buds 4 Professional. They nonetheless resemble the Buds 3 Professional, however with a few design tweaks that must be vital in every day use. And as a hater of the Galaxy Buds 3 Professional design, I couldn’t be extra excited.

Each time I’ve tried utilizing the Galaxy Buds 3 Professional over the previous 12 months, the identical factor occurs. I fairly just like the sound high quality and the general consolation as soon as the buds are in my ears. Nevertheless, the second I’ve to work together with the earbuds or their charging case, I bear in mind why I can’t follow the Buds 3 Professional for various days at a time.

The principle challenge I’ve with the Galaxy Buds 3 Professional is the sharp, triangular design of the earbud stems. Whereas it seems cool, it’s additionally a usability nightmare. With conventional earbuds which have a spherical stem, you may seize them anyplace to comfortably carry out no matter squeeze/swipe gestures they’re able to.

The Buds 3 Professional stem doesn’t work that means. Whereas the gestures themselves are correct and pleasing to make use of, the problem lies in gripping the stem of the Buds 3 Professional in a means that prompts the gestures. Grip it too near the surface, and your fingers slide alongside the angles and mess up your in-ear match. Seize it too near the within, and also you’ll possible find yourself knocking the Buds 3 Professional out of your ear and into your hand — simply as my colleague Ryan Haines complained about final 12 months.

This isn’t an enormous deal after I’m sporting the Galaxy Buds 3 Professional whereas sitting nonetheless at my workplace desk or at a espresso store, but it surely’s a catastrophe after I’m transferring round. Each time I’ve tried operating with the Buds 3 Professional, I’ve unintentionally taken the buds out of my ears whereas making an attempt to shortly squeeze the stems. It’s an enormous ache.

Samsung’s triangle stem form additionally interprets to a different annoyance: placing the Galaxy Buds 3 Professional of their charging case. Out of the handfuls and dozens of wi-fi earbuds I’ve used through the years, the Buds 3 Professional are the one ones I persistently wrestle to place into the case.

Not solely does the triangular base of the earbuds forestall you from simply dropping them within the case like you may with AirPods, however Samsung’s choice to have the stems face one another, quite than away from one another, makes the case really feel very cramped when making an attempt to put the buds again inside. Even higher, the magnet close to the highest of the earbud is simply robust sufficient to push the stem away from its gap within the case. I do know this feels like nitpicking, but it surely’s actually maddening in every day use.

And that brings us to the Galaxy Buds 4 Professional. Though our first take a look at the design comes within the type of cartoon-styled One UI 8.5 animations, it’s sufficient to point out that my complaints concerning the Galaxy Buds 3 Professional must be disappearing with their successor.

That is primarily evident by the brand new stem form, which seems to be considerably flatter on the Buds 4 Professional in comparison with the Buds 3 Professional. It clearly stays to be seen how the stems really feel to make use of in individual, however based mostly solely on the form we’re seeing right here, it already seems like a large improve over the Buds 3 Professional design. All I ask from Samsung is a stem I can use shortly and simply, and it looks as if we’re on monitor to get that.

The opposite change I’m completely happy to see is the brand new charging case. The case for the Galaxy Buds 4 Professional resembles the type Samsung final used with the Buds 2 Professional. Reasonably than putting the earbuds into the case vertically, they’ll go in mendacity down. This could remove all of the friction at the moment current with the Galaxy Buds 3 Professional case, and that’s an enormous win.

A brand new stem form and a tweaked charging case for the Galaxy Buds 4 Professional might not sound like something game-changing, however within the context of how dangerous these items are with the Buds 3 Professional, I’m now trying ahead to Samsung’s new earbuds way over I used to be earlier than.