This is why Galaxy Buds 3 Pro sales were suspended

It’s been weeks since Samsung launched its new flagship wireless earbuds , and a lot has happened since then. Sales of the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro have now been suspended , but how did that happen? Let’s take a moment to explain what happened, what issues customers are having, whether they’ll start shipping again, and more.

Just over a week after launch, the tech giant decided to pull its new premium earbuds from sale. Currently, customers can’t pre-order the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro from retailers like Best Buy or Amazon. On Samsung’s own website, the shipping date has been changed from July 24 to August 28.

According to Samsung, in a statement provided to Android Authority (read the full statement), quality control issues are responsible for the decision. Therefore, the company has temporarily stopped deliveries to its retail partners. The company has also issued a statement to buyers in its domestic market apologizing for quality issues, while offering exchanges or refunds.

Samsung says it will “conduct a full quality check before shipping the products to consumers.” It also states that any customer who already owns the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro should contact Samsung or visit the nearest Samsung Service Center if any issues arise.

What problems do customers experience?

When people got their hands on the company’s new premium earbuds, certain issues were discovered. These issues started with just the earbuds, but since then, more issues have been discovered.

The fragile earbuds have been one of the most talked about issues so far, with multiple reports on Reddit and YouTube claiming that the earbuds can tear when trying to remove them from the earbuds. The issue appears to be related to the hard plastic ring at the base of the silicone earbuds that snaps onto the earbuds for a secure fit. However, Samsung did release a support page with instructions for users on how to safely remove the earbuds. Users can also contact Samsung for replacements if their earbuds are already damaged.

Over the past few days, one of South Korea’s top tech reviewers has released a video listing the various issues he’s discovered. The reviewer, known as ITSub on YouTube, purchased ten sets of Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. Here are the issues he’s found:

• The surfaces of the earbuds were not flat along the contours.
• The bottom of the stems had uneven seams.
• The earbuds were at different heights in the box.
• Some cases had a sticker on the hinge, other cases did not.
• There was already dust on the earbuds before they were taken out of the box.
• Residues of blue and orange dye were found on the surface of two pairs of earplugs.
• One of the earbuds had a chip or dent near the LED area.
• On most models, the top portion of the LED light is rounded, but there were two examples where the LED light appeared to be cut straight off.

You can see some of these issues in the screenshots below. The first image shows the right earbud sitting higher than the left. In the second image we see uneven coloring around the bottom of the stem. The next image shows an issue with the LED, while the last image shows blue dye residue on the earbud.

SoundmenOur sister site also discovered an issue with the active noise cancellation (ANC) and the new Siren Detect feature. Siren Detect is designed to allow sirens and alarms to penetrate the ANC, allowing users to remain aware of their surroundings. However, the feature was found to be largely unnecessary, as the earbuds allow all sorts of intrusive noise to disrupt the listening experience. After putting the earbuds through a number of tests, they found that the ANC on the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro is only able to block out 76% of external noise. In comparison, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro can block out up to 84% of external noise.

It’s important to note that the issues only appear to be affecting the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. There don’t appear to have been any reports on the base model Galaxy Buds 3.

As mentioned, there have been numerous reports on Reddit and YouTube. It is unclear how widespread these issues really are, as availability is still quite limited.

In ITSub’s video, of the ten Buds 3 Pro the YouTuber purchased, eight were white and two were silver. It appears the issues discovered in the video were with the white variant. According to the reviewer, three of the ten units had build quality issues that were bad enough to warrant sending them back to Samsung.

Are the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro shipping again?

Samsung did say that it has “suspended shipments of Galaxy Buds 3 Pro units to distribution channels.” You don’t need to worry too much, though. The suspension of shipments is merely a temporary measure the company is taking to give it time to assess the build quality issues with the earbuds, and Samsung should resume shipping them once that’s complete. On its own website, the manufacturer lists August 28 as the new shipping date, indicating that the company expects to resume shipments eventually.

Can I get my order back?

Not all customers are experiencing issues with the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, but if you do have a problem with your earbuds, Samsung offers a number of solutions. The company recommends returning your earbuds to the store for a replacement. However, if you just want your money back, Samsung is also offering refunds.

When Samsung first announced the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, the company was widely criticized (and rightly so) for copying the design of Apple’s AirPods. While not a direct knockoff, they are still heavily inspired by the Cupertino company’s design philosophy. As a result, Samsung put itself in a position where it was immediately questioned.

While there aren’t really any differing opinions on the performance, the build quality issues, apart from the lack of ANC, can’t be ignored. Moreover, more and more issues seemed to be discovered before Samsung finally decided to temporarily stop shipping.

Overall, we’d say this was a nightmare of a launch for a product that has undergone a drastic design change. To add fuel to the fire, these are supposed to be Samsung’s flagship earbuds. A recall due to poor build quality on a premium product is more than an embarrassment for a company that’s been in this business for years.