Android users have it good in 2025. The two obvious flagship picks — Google's Pixel Buds Pro 2 and Samsung's Galaxy Buds 3 Pro — are both excellent, and both are built to shine with their maker's phones. But they take very different approaches, and there's a third option worth knowing about if hi-res audio matters to you. Here's how to choose.
Design and comfort: Pixel
Google went small. The Pixel Buds Pro 2 are 27% smaller and 24% lighter than the first generation, and the result is one of the most comfortable, secure fits you can buy — they nearly disappear in the ear. Samsung took the opposite turn, abandoning its old bean shape for an AirPods-style stem design with eye-catching ‘blade’ lights. Both are comfortable; the Pixel is the one you'll forget you're wearing.
Sound: Samsung's fun, Google's balance
The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro deliver a punchy, bass-forward sound that's genuinely fun, and — paired with a recent Galaxy phone — support Samsung's 24-bit near-lossless Seamless Codec. The Pixel Buds Pro 2 go for a more balanced, consumer-friendly tuning with useful EQ presets, but they're limited to AAC. If you have a modern Galaxy phone and care about sound, Samsung edges it; everyone else is closer to a draw.
Noise cancellation: close, edge to Pixel
Both offer strong ANC that lands a step below the class-leading Bose and AirPods Pro 3, but comfortably handles commutes and offices. In our reading of the testing, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 have the slight edge in consistency, and their smaller shells seal well. Samsung's is very good but sits just behind.
Features: it's about your phone
This is where the decision usually gets made. The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro pile on features — Galaxy AI, live translation, auto-switching, hands-free voice — but most of the best ones are locked to Samsung phones, and there's no iOS app at all. The Pixel Buds Pro 2 lean into Gemini Live and clean, app-free Pixel integration, and play more nicely as a general Android pair. Match the buds to your phone brand and you'll get the most out of either.
The hi-res wildcard: Sony WF-1000XM6
If audio quality is your top priority and you're on Android, don't stop at the ecosystem picks. Sony's WF-1000XM6 support LDAC hi-res audio on any Android phone, pair it with the best all-round ANC and sound in the class, and don't care which brand of phone you own. They cost more — around $299 — but for Android listeners who want the best rather than the best-integrated, they're the answer.
🛒 Sony WF-1000XM6 on Amazon🟦 Best BuyIf you own a recent Samsung phone, the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro unlock features and near-lossless audio you won't get anywhere else — buy them. If you own a Pixel or just want the comfiest, most reliable everyday Android pair, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 are the pick, and usually a little cheaper. And if you care more about sound than integration, the Sony WF-1000XM6 quietly beat both. Choose by your phone first, your ears second.