The design of the Galaxy Buds 2 distinguishes them from their siblings. If the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live are most closely related to beans, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 are most similar to pebbles; they’re small, mostly round, and extremely smooth. They fit into a rounded plastic case that easily slides into a pocket. When you open the case, you’ll see four different colours of Buds: lavender, olive, white, and graphite. It’s worth noting, however, that the Buds and the inside of the case will have a distinct colour, but the outside of the case will not – it will always be white. The new Galaxy Buds 2 are 15% smaller and 20% lighter than the Galaxy Buds Plus, making them easier to wear for extended periods of time, according to Samsung. The disadvantage of being smaller is that they are more difficult to handle and can slip out of their case and your ears more easily. Fortunately, because the Buds are magnetised to hook onto the metal charging pins in the case, this won’t happen very often, but we’d recommend being cautious when pulling them out or putting them back in their case, lest they fall out and bounce somewhere you can’t reach them. The Galaxy Buds 2’s design flaw is that they are only IPX2 water-resistant, which means they are only suitable for light sweating workouts. You won’t be able to wear them in the rain or to the beach. You can use the Galaxy Buds’ built-in touch controls or your smartphone to control them. They’re fairly simple to use (play/pause with one tap, skip forward with two taps, and rewind with three), and a recent firmware update has improved the buds even more in this regard, adding the ability to double-tap the earbuds’ edge to adjust the volume up or down.
