Samsung's upgraded Galaxy Buds+ may not be the noise-canceling true wireless earbuds of our dreams, but they do include some meaningful improvements that make them worth considering. Battery life is the big one, going up to 11 hours on a single charge from just six in the first-generation model. A new speaker and mic system promises better audio quality, and there are also some other useful new features onboard.The form factor is unchanged, which makes the huge battery bump all the more impressive. Together with the case, the new Buds+ offer 22 hours in total, and fast charging now delivers an hour of playback from a three-minute top-up. Each earbud is slightly heavier — 6.3g vs 5.6g — but this hopefully won't make them any less comfortable. A two-way dynamic speaker setup comprising a woofer and tweeter should represent an upgrade in audio quality, and an extra external microphone on each earbud should enhance call quality. The ambient mode that lets outside noise in when you need it has also been upgraded, according to Samsung. AAC, SBC, and Samsung's proprietary Scalable codec are supported, but not AptX.You could only connect the original Galaxy Buds to one device at a time, but the Buds+ bring multi-device compatibility with their Bluetooth 5 connection. The same IPX2 rating ensures you can exercise while wearing them, but you won't want to drop them in the washing up bowl. Customizable touch controls return along with a new one-touch Spotify shortcut and there's still a USB-C port for charging. The Buds+ App is now available for iOS, too.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds+ will be available in Cosmic Black, White, Cloud Blue, and Red starting February 14. They'll cost $149 direct from Samsung or from Amazon (£159 in the UK), a $20 increase over the original version. Similar to last year, they'll be offered as a freebie alongside pre-orders of the Galaxy S20+ and S20 Ultra.

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