AirPods vs. Galaxy Buds Prices — Official List Prices of 7 Current Models

Tech Explainer October 2, 2026

I compared the 7 models currently on sale from Apple AirPods and Samsung Galaxy Buds at the official store prices of the two companies. The cheapest is the Galaxy Buds3 FE at ₩159,000, and the most expensive is the AirPods Pro 3 at ₩369,000.

All 7 either have noise cancelling (6 models) or are clip-on earbuds that don’t block the ear (Buds On).

Apple and Samsung logos side by side — Source: Apple · Samsung

Official list prices of 7 models

Official list prices of 7 current AirPods and Galaxy Buds models — Source: self-rendered from Apple Store and Samsung.com

Prices are the list prices shown on the Apple Store and Samsung.com on October 2, 2026, excluding card discounts and coupons. The Galaxy Buds On launches on October 27, so I used the launch price announced in the Samsung Newsroom.

The prices Samsung.com shows for the Buds4 and Buds4 Pro are the same as the release prices the Newsroom announced at the February unveiling (₩259,000 and ₩359,000). Seven months after launch, the official prices haven’t changed.

Products excluded from the comparison

On the Apple Store, the AirPods 4 purchase page now redirects to AirPods 5, so it’s no longer sold. The AirPods Max 2 (₩849,000), being headphones, was left out of an earbuds comparison.

Noise cancelling under ₩200,000

Item	Buds3 FE	AirPods 5
Official price	₩159,000	₩199,000
Fit	In-ear	Open-fit
Playback (ANC on)	Up to 6 hours	Up to 4 hours
With case	Up to 24 hours	Up to 20 hours
Earbud weight	5g	4.3g

AirPods 5 — Source: Apple

These are the cheapest noise-cancelling earbuds from each company. The Buds3 FE is an in-ear design that seals the ear canal with ear tips, while the AirPods 5 is an open-fit design that sits in the ear without tips, so even with the same noise cancelling they feel different to wear.

The Buds3 FE is ₩40,000 cheaper and its earbud playback time is 2 hours longer. At this price the AirPods 5 case charges only over USB-C; wireless charging is only on the wireless charging case model, which costs ₩30,000 more.

Open-fit noise cancelling in the ₩200,000s

Item	AirPods 5 wireless	Buds4
Official price	₩229,000	₩259,000
Playback (ANC on)	Up to 5 hours	Up to 5 hours
With case	Up to 22 hours	Up to 24 hours
Earbud weight	4.3g	4.6g
Wireless charging	Yes	Yes

Galaxy Buds4 — Source: Samsung

Both are open-fit without ear tips and have noise cancelling and wireless charging. This is the most closely matched pair, and the AirPods 5 with wireless charging case is ₩30,000 cheaper.

Earbud playback with noise cancelling on is up to 5 hours for both. Playback including the case is 2 hours longer on the Buds4, and each AirPods 5 earbud is 0.3g lighter.

Pro models in the ₩300,000s

Item	AirPods Pro 3	Buds4 Pro
Official price	₩369,000	₩359,000
Playback (ANC on)	Up to 8 hours	Up to 6 hours
With case	Up to 24 hours	Up to 26 hours
Earbud weight	5.55g	5.1g
Heart rate during workouts	Yes	Not in specs

AirPods Pro 3 — Source: Apple

These are the two companies’ top in-ear models, and the price difference is ₩10,000. On a single earbud charge the AirPods Pro 3 lasts 2 hours longer, while playback including the case is 2 hours longer on the Buds4 Pro.

Galaxy Buds4 Pro — Source: Samsung

The AirPods Pro 3 added heart rate measurement during workouts plus hearing test and hearing aid features. The Buds4 Pro supports a 2-way speaker and 24-bit 96kHz high-quality playback, and comes in a pink gold color exclusive to Samsung.com.

The clip-on Galaxy Buds On

Galaxy Buds On — Source: Samsung

The Galaxy Buds On (₩299,000) is a clip-on design worn over the outer ear, a form factor the AirPods lineup doesn’t have. It plays up to 9.5 hours per charge, and noise cancelling isn’t in the announced specs.

The Buds On is ₩40,000 more expensive than the open-fit Buds4, which also doesn’t block the ear.

Galaxy Buds On — Samsung’s First Clip-On Earbuds at ₩299,000

Differences depending on your phone

Apple states on its official spec pages that AirPods can be connected to non-Apple devices as Bluetooth earbuds, but with limited features. Features that require Apple Intelligence, such as live translation on the AirPods 5, work only on the iPhone 15 Pro and later.

Samsung lists Buds4 series compatibility as Android 12 or later. Connecting just by opening the case and adjusting settings from the settings screen without an app are based on Galaxy phones.

Summary by price tier

Summary by price tier — Source: summary of this post · self-rendered