Samsung Galaxy Buds 2: problems, parts and running costs
Checked: 2026-10-19
Summary
The Galaxy Buds 2’s recurring problems are battery life and quirks around fit and controls: 5 hours with ANC on and a 20-hour case, below the 24-hour case average; tap input that works about 70% of the time and can pause music when you adjust a bud; and IPX2 water resistance that rules out running or rain. There are no subscriptions and no scheduled consumables, so running cost is limited to occasional ear-tip replacements and charging electricity, which no source quantifies. It is a good buy only well under its $149 launch price — remaining new stock was listed at $179 on Newegg, above the original MSRP.
Common problems and fixes
- Battery life below tier norms — 5 hours with ANC on and 7.5 hours with it off, or 20 and 29 hours with the case, which Tom’s Guide calls below the 24-hour industry case average; CNET’s testing found the rated numbers accurate [1][4]. No fix on the battery itself; a 5-minute charge returns about 1 hour of play [1][4].
- On-ear detection friction — removing only one bud does not auto-pause, there is a 2-second delay, and audio does not auto-resume when you reinsert it [1]. No workaround was reported.
- Call quality is contested — CNET tested calls from a noisy airport and callers heard very little background noise, while Tom’s Guide on the same three-mic hardware reported wind noise, muffling outdoors and no noticeable effect from Samsung’s machine-learning filtering over four days [1][4]. No fix; treat it as environment-dependent.
- Missing premium features — no multipoint Bluetooth, no aptX, no speak-to-chat, and no iOS app, which also means no firmware updates without an Android device [1][4]. No fix; a Galaxy phone adds Gaming Mode and PowerShare reverse charging [1].
- Build feels less premium — plain matte plastic instead of the Buds Pro’s rubberized plastic and metal, and the case scuffs and scratches easily [1]. No fix.
- ANC is not class-leading — CNET places it below the Sony WF-1000XM4 and Bose QuietComfort Earbuds, and Tom’s Guide disputes Samsung’s “up to 98%” noise-cut claim, estimating closer to 85% [1][4]. No fix.
Parts and consumables
- No other replaceable parts — no user-replaceable battery, driver or case parts, and no Samsung consumer parts channel for SM-R177 was found; the sealed buds are not user-serviceable. [1]
Yearly running cost
No subscriptions and no scheduled consumables. Owners pay only for charging electricity — the case charges over USB-C or a Qi pad — and for replacement ear tips, whose price no source reports. No power draw for the buds is published, so the yearly charging cost is not enough data.
When it is a good buy
Prices at the October 2026 research check: Tom’s Guide’s price widget showed the SM-R177NLVAXAR variant at $179 on Newegg, above the $149-$150 launch MSRP of August 27, 2021 [1][5][6]. Samsung no longer catalogs the Buds 2 in its US lineup, so no Samsung-direct price exists [2].
- At or below roughly $80: strong value for a Galaxy phone owner who wants the smallest, lightest first-party ANC buds.
- $81-$120: fair to good; the ANC gap and the 20-hour case matter more at this price.
- $121-$149: weak — full price for a discontinued SKU with no iOS firmware path and no multipoint.
- $150 or more (the observed $179): weak; it loses to newer Samsung models and to a discounted Galaxy Buds Pro.
Named alternatives: the Galaxy Buds Pro is the better choice when it is discounted and you want more features and better ANC, since Tom’s Guide argued at launch that a few dollars more bought a significantly better set. The Sony WF-1000XM4 and Bose QuietComfort Earbuds are the better choices when noise cancellation or sound quality comes first, as both sit above the Buds 2 in ANC class [1][4]. The Buds 2 is the better choice when small size, light weight (5 g per bud) and dual wireless charging matter most.