Samsung Galaxy Buds shake when you’re stomping around in heels

If you pre-ordered the Galaxy S10 or S10+, you’ll get a free pair of Galaxy Buds as a gift for your fealty. That saves you $130, and you get to listen to music without having to contend with a mess of wires before getting your groove on.

The Galaxy Buds are Samsung’s version of the Apple AirPods, except they don’t look like Q-tips when they’re in your ear. I got a pair after attending the Samsung Galaxy S10 launch event in San Francisco. I’ve been listening to music and podcasts with them for about a week. I even tried podcasting with them on the other day. I’ve been wearing them around towns and on trains. Here are some of my observations from wearing the Samsung Galaxy Buds. I’m reviewing them more officially in a couple of days, so stay tuned for a link to that in the coming days. 

They’re comfortable

For the most part. I’m not usually a person who enjoys those in-your-ear type of buds, but I can handle these.

They stay in your ear

Again, for the most part. I was crossing the street in the Castro the other day in heeled boots, and the buds were shaking so much in my ear they were skipping. It was like 2001 all over again, and I don’t want to go back there—those were high school years for me. I have yet to try the Galaxy Buds on my favorite trail or while on the elliptical, partly because it’s winter in California and I’m less inclined to do anything outside of the house. But considering how they performed as I was rushing to meet a friend, I’m going to stick with my Bose SoundSport headphones when I’m exercising. Because if those fall out of my ears, at least they’ll hang around my neck. And they don’t skip when I’m hopping around.

You’ll have to clean them constantly

If you get the pearl color, they’ll need a wipe down any time they come into contact with ear wax. Choose another color if this is a concern.

They last awhile

Six hours on a charge according to other reviewers out there. They recharge in the pill pack, too, and I haven’t charged that since I took it out of the box, so that bodes pretty well for them on standby. These are great if you don’t tend to charge your tech accessories because you usually keep them in a bag somewhere.

They can charge on the back of your Galaxy S10

Just make sure you have enough juice left on your Galaxy S10 before you start doing this.

They’re tappable

You have to use the Samsung Gear app to pair them with your Android phone, but the app also lets you customize what happens when you tap on a bud once, twice, or three times. There’s also a customizable long-press option. My only complaint is that they’re too sensitive, so when I’m placing them into my ear, I’m accidentally engaging a feature.

The Lord’s answer to AirPods?

I don’t know if these are the answer to AirPods. I’ve never worn AirPods, and I was a little too annoyed at the fanfare surrounding them ever to try them. What I do know is that the Galaxy Buds are comfortable and compact and fit lovely inside my purse in its rechargeable battery case. But I don’t know that these will have the same impact that Apple’s AirPods did. They’re just buds to match your fancy new Samsung phone.