Galaxy Buds 3 FE Review: Light on the Wallet, Heavy Where It Counts

In 2024, Samsung refreshed its Buds lineup with the Galaxy Buds 3 and Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, switching to a stem-style design similar to Apple’s AirPods. The Buds 3 Pro deliver premium sound, strong battery life, and a deep feature set, but that experience comes at a premium price.

Samsung introduced the Galaxy Buds FE in 2023, bringing ANC and solid sound quality to a more affordable tier. In 2025, the Galaxy Buds 3 FE followed, borrowing the Buds 3 Pro design and some of its features while undercutting both the Buds 3 and Buds 3 Pro on price. In this review, I’ll put the Galaxy Buds 3 FE to the test and see how much of the flagship experience you actually get for $149.99.

Table of contents

• Unboxing
• Design and comfort
• Sound and performance
• Battery life and charging
• App and extras
• Pros and cons
• Verdict

Disclaimer: Samsung had no involvement in the creation of this Galaxy Buds 3 FE review and did not see it before publication.

What’s in the box?

Galaxy Buds 3 FE come in a white box. Inside, you’ll find the Quick Start guide, Small (S) and Large (L) ear tips, and the earbuds with the charging case. The earbuds come with the Medium (M) sized ear tips pre-installed. Unlike the Buds 3 and Buds 3 Pro, Samsung no longer includes a charging cable in the box with the Buds 3 FE.

Galaxy Buds 3 FE review: Design and comfort

Galaxy Buds 3 FE share the same overall design as the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, but the stem, or “Blade” how Samsung likes to call it, is slightly thicker. There’s a good reason for this decision: a bigger battery than Buds 3 Pro. The Buds 3 FE don’t fit inside the Buds 3 Pro charging case due to thicker stems and different charging pin placement.

The charging case looks nearly identical, featuring the same clear lid design. However, the Buds 3 FE use a matte plastic finish instead of the glossy finish found on the Buds 3 and Buds 3 Pro.

These earbuds also don’t have the Blade Lights found on Buds 3 Pro. Honestly, I see them more like a gimmick rather than something really useful. They’re available in Gray or Black color options.

In terms of comfort, these earbuds perform very well. They sit snugly in the ears and stay secure even during running or jumping. I recommend trying all ear tip sizes and running the Earbud Fit Test in the Galaxy Wearable app for the best seal.

The fit is noticeably better than previous Galaxy Buds models, largely thanks to the new shape, even if they look a bit like AirPods. Ouch! The Buds 3 FE carry an IP54 rating for dust and water resistance, an improvement over the original Buds FE, which had IPX2. Although, they are still behind the IP57 rating of the Buds 3 and Buds 3 Pro.

Galaxy Buds 3 FE review: Sound and performance

For the price, the Galaxy Buds 3 FE sound excellent. Bass is punchy, treble is clear, and while they don’t sound as detailed as Buds 3 Pro, most users will be more than satisfied. The earbuds use a single 11mm driver and offer a customizable EQ with six presets in the Galaxy Wearable app. I personally prefer the Dynamic EQ setting.

ANC performance is one of the biggest highlights. It is significantly better than previous Galaxy Buds and even slightly better than Buds 3 Pro in some situations. I tested them in a café, and with ANC enabled, outside noise was barely noticeable. You can adjust ANC intensity in the app.

Ambient Sound has improved compared to older models, but it still isn’t perfect. There’s some static noise, and voices can sound slightly robotic. That said, conversations are clear enough that you don’t need to remove the earbuds. You can also adjust the intensity of Ambient Sound from the app.

Microphone quality is very good. During calls, people told me my voice sounded clear, and no one could tell I was using the earbuds’ microphone. However, the buds struggle if you wear a thick winter hat that covers them, so calls work best when nothing is blocking the earbuds.

Galaxy Buds 3 FE review: Battery life and charging

The batter life is awesome. You get up to 8.5 hours without ANC and around 6 hours with ANC enabled. Samsung’s claims hold up. I consistently got just over 6 hours with ANC on at roughly 40 to 50 percent volume. The thicker stem houses a larger battery than the Buds 3 Pro, which helps explain the slight design difference.

Charging speeds are solid. A 20-minute charge from the case gives you about 20 percent battery life if the earbuds are down to 1 percent. The case itself takes around an hour to fully recharge from zero. Unfortunately, there’s no wireless charging, only USB-C.

Galaxy Buds 3 FE review: App and extras

If you are running One UI 8.0 and above, Galaxy Buds settings are now integrated directly into system Settings app. If you are running One UI 7.0 or below, or if you have any other Android phone, you will find the earbuds settings inside Galaxy Wearable app, like before. From the app, you can customize the Pinch and Hold action, customize EQ settings, customize ANC and Ambient Sound levels, and do Software updates for these Buds.

Features

The Galaxy Buds 3 FE support Bixby or Google Gemini wake-up, but they lack voice command controls like “play/pause” or “next track” found on the Buds 3 and Buds 3 Pro.

Touch controls work reliably:

• Single pinch: Play/Pause
• Double pinch: Skip track
• Triple pinch: Previous track
• Pinch and hold: Noise controls (customizable)

You can also assign pinch and hold controls to features like Interpreter Mode on supported Galaxy smartphones with Galaxy AI, as well as Spotify, Samsung Music, Mindfulness, or your preferred digital assistant.

These earbuds also support 360 Audio, but there’s no head tracking like on the Buds 3 or Buds 3 Pro. There’s also no 360 Audio recording for video on the Buds 3 FE.

The Buds 3 FE don’t support Bluetooth Multipoint, which allows earbuds to connect to multiple devices at the same time. That said, Samsung does offer Auto Switch between Galaxy devices. It works well, and I tested it with my Galaxy S24 and Note 10 Lite.

Extras

Galaxy Watch 4 and newer users can control the earbuds via the Buds Controller app, including battery status and Noise Controls. You can also adjust the intensity for ANC and Ambient Sound modes from the watch.

If you have a Windows PC, you can also install Galaxy Buds app to get all the settings and customization options from mobile app.

Gaming Mode is available in Labs to reduce audio latency. I tested it with Call of Duty Mobile, and it worked as expected.

Many settings are also accessible directly from the media player and volume slider with One UI 7 and above. The earbuds also remember separate audio profiles for different apps like Spotify and YouTube.

What are the Pros and Cons of the Galaxy Buds 3 FE?

Pros:

— Excellent active noise cancellation for the price
— Strong battery life with and without ANC
— Clear and reliable call quality
— Extensive customization options in the app
— Tight integration with Samsung’s ecosystem

Cons:

— No wireless charging
— No 24-bit/96kHz audio support
— IP54 water resistance, lower than the IP57 rating on Buds 3 and Buds 3 Pro
— No 360 Audio head tracking
— No 360 Audio recording
— Ambient Sound mode still needs improvement

Galaxy Buds 3 FE review: Verdict

The Galaxy Buds 3 FE offer a strong balance of price and performance. You get very good sound, excellent ANC for the money, long battery life, and smooth integration with Samsung devices. They skip a few premium extras, but nothing that hurts everyday use.

Comfort is excellent, the matte finish looks clean, and ANC performance stands out in this price range. If you want reliable noise-canceling earbuds without paying flagship prices, the Buds 3 FE are an easy recommendation (and you can check out some of the ongoing offers by tapping the links below).

• Galaxy Buds 3 FE on Samsung
• Galaxy Buds 3 FE on Amazon
• Galaxy Buds 3 FE on Target
• Galaxy Buds 3 FE on Walmart