As good as the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus earbuds are, they don't offer noise cancelling. But the new AKG N400 earbuds — made by Samsung-owned Harman International — deliver ANC and even better water resistance than the AirPods Pro for a cheaper price.
As reported by Android Central, the AKG N400 is now viewable on Samsung's Korean website, and they buds are likely to hit other countries soon. The cost? 230,000 won, which is around $186 or £151. That's about $60 less than the AirPods Pro. Here's what you get for the money.
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The N400 offers active noise cancelling (ANC), possibly the most desirable feature you can get in wireless earbuds. Besides that, these buds feature IPX7 water resistance, which means they can survive being submerged in one meter (over 3 feet) of water for 30 minutes. The AirPods Pro only feature IPX4 resistance, which means they're splash-proof, but you can't dunk them.
Samsung claims 6 hours of battery life for the AKG N400, with the charging case offering another 6 for a total of 12 hours. The AIrPods Pro offer just 5 hours of juice on their own (4.5 hours with ANC on), but a longer 24 hours total with its charging case.
You control the N400 via capacitive touch panels rather than physical buttons, much like the AirPods or Galaxy Buds, or with a digital assistant like Siri and Google Assistant.
To make sure they fit in your ears, the AKG N400 comes with multiple tips, including a foam option and different sized surrounds alongside the typical gels. You also have a choice of three colors when you purchase these buds: black, blue, or navy with gold accents.
You can only buy the N400s in South Korea at the time of writing, but these buds are likely to come to other markets in the near future (coronavirus-related delays notwithstanding). So hopefully US and UK users will be able to try out this competitively priced AirPods Pro rival.
