Earlier this year , Nothing launched the Ear (1) with a grand idea: earbuds as fashion accessories. Sure, the company talked a lot about the non-invasiveness of transparent design, but at the end of the day, the product’s launch on StockX betrayed a focus on the fashion forward.

With the exception of the Galaxy Buds Live, Samsung has a solid track record with its recent earbuds. That’s true once again with the Galaxy Buds 2 where a tiny curved design keeps things comfy even for long periods of time.

A fine pair of noise-cancelling earbuds that might get lost in the confusing line of other Galaxy Buds....

The snappy, seamless Android experience is a joy, but the extra perks offered by the Galaxy Buds 2 struggle to atone for disappointing sound quality

Pleasing bass weight, Lightweight design, Intuitive Android app

Harsh through the treble, Dynamically lacking

A marked improvement over the original model, sharing features with the higher-priced Galaxy Buds Pro, these headphones importantly sound decent. They don't offer the best active noise-cancellation (ANC) around, but they do offer great call quality.

Compact design and case; Good sound; Customisation options via the Wearable app; Wireless charging; Good background noise supression on calls;

Not the best active noise-cancelling (ANC) around; Only IPX2 splash proofing; Only supports Bixby voice assistant;

For anyone who has already bought into the Samsung Galaxy ecosystem, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 are a fantastic choice and a big improvement on the first generation. You get good sound and the noise-cancelling does a fantastic job at cutting out distracting noise.

Good sound quality, Active noise cancellation, Works seamlessly with other Galaxy devices

Not waterproof or even water-resistant, Battery life is just okay, No manual EQ settings

Nice design and fit ; Effective noise cancellation/Ambient mode performance ; Good call quality ; Well-featured app;

Similarly priced rivals offer better sound ; Touch controls a little finicky ; Tailored more for Samsung Galaxy owners;

The Galaxy Buds 2 are excellent all-rounders, with a comfortable, lightweight design and high-end features like ANC and wireless charging – balanced by fiddly touch controls and only average battery life. Anyone on Android should be happy with these, though limited software support means iPhone owners are better looking elsewhere.

Lightweight, compact design; Solid sound & ANC; Wireless charging;

Fiddly touch controls; Limited iOS support; Average battery life;

With active noise cancellation and a more compact, comfortable design, the Galaxy Buds 2 are a clear upgrade on the Buds and Buds Plus

Lightweight and supremely comfortable; Useful Galaxy-specific features; Well-executed touch controls;

Mediocre battery life; Only IPX2 rated;

With active noise cancellation and a more compact, comfortable design, the Galaxy Buds 2 are a clear upgrade on the Buds and Buds Plus

Lightweight and supremely comfortable; Useful Galaxy-specific features; Well-executed touch controls;

Mediocre battery life; Only IPX2 rated;