Samsung
Samsung is delaying the release of the $250 Galaxy Buds3 Pro in the U.S. from July 24 to Aug. 28, according to its website. The third-generation earbuds see Samsung move from a bean-like shape to an Apple AirPods Pro-like design, including silicone eartips. But some users are claiming the new tips tear too easily.
Samsung confirmed to Android Authority today that it has temporarily stopped shipping units to stores. The devices were no longer available for pre-order on Amazon or Best Buy at the time of writing.
Samsung's statement to Android Authority noted “reports relating to a limited number of early production units” and said it is taking the issue “very seriously.” The statement continued:
We are urgently reviewing and improving our quality control processes. To ensure that all products meet our quality standards, we have temporarily suspended the shipment of Galaxy Buds 3 Pro units to distribution channels to conduct a full quality control evaluation before shipments to consumers. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
Samsung also advised people who already own a pair to contact Samsung or visit a Samsung Service Center. Android Authority reported that some customers also received an email from Samsung informing them of the quality control concerns and providing a link where customers could find contact information to inquire with Samsung representatives about canceling their orders for a refund.
Samsung's website states that the earbuds come with a one-year warranty. This warranty does not cover defects or damage “caused by accident, misuse, abnormal use, abnormal conditions, improper storage, neglect or unusual physical, electrical or electromechanical stress.”
“It immediately tore from the inside”
Though the Galaxy Buds3 Pro were originally expected to launch in the US on July 24, they’re already available for purchase in South Korea, according to Android Police . Other people who already have the buds include reviewers, employees, and people who pre-ordered them early. (Some people also claimed they were able to buy the buds at US Walmarts before Samsung announced them.)
Some who owned the earbuds reported that the silicone tips were difficult to remove without tearing them. Like AirPods Pros, the Galaxy Buds3 Pros have a silicone tip that snaps onto a plastic ring on the chassis of the earbuds. Several people reported that when they tried to remove the tip, it tore, leaving a piece of the silicone stuck to the plastic ring.
Some, including reviewers at The Verge and Android Authority, said they hadn’t experienced the issue. But others, including TechRadar, found it difficult to remove the earbuds without damaging them.
One Reddit user claimed that he pulled on an earbud to remove it, and that it “teared right off from the inside.” He noted that because the silicone is wedged into the plastic ring, “you have to pull really hard.” Another user said that the “left earbud tore right off” when he tried to remove it.
Samsung even has a support page on its Korean website explaining how to remove the earbuds to avoid damage. It lists several ways the silicone can tear, including, according to a Google translation, if you hold them with your fingernails while inserting or removing them, if you press or twist the earbuds hard, or if you pull the earbuds out quickly.
After numerous complaints online, including on Reddit (examples here , here and here ) and YouTube (examples here and here ), Samsung has delayed general availability. Samsung does not yet offer replacement tips for the earbuds, complicating potential quick fixes. People typically don’t need to replace the tips on their earbuds very often, but it seems like a mistake not to offer replacements when Apple has been doing so for years.
Samsung’s Galaxy Buds3 Pro look similar to the AirPods Pro that first launched nearly five years ago, and it doesn’t care. What it should care about, however, is a new design that seems flimsy and inferior before it’s even released. At least Samsung has taken the initiative to address the initial complaints instead of ignoring them, and is instead offering refunds and delaying the release to limit the number of affected customers. We’ll see if the earbuds are any sturdier come August.
