Samsung offers refund for Galaxy Buds 3 with quality defects

Right after Samsung announced the Galaxy Buds 3 series at Unpacked, pre-orders for these active noise-cancelling earbuds also started. Now, many users are already receiving their earbuds. However, it seems that not all users who have purchased them first-hand are getting a great and pleasant experience, as there are now reports of quality issues with the Galaxy Buds 3 and Buds 3 Pro (hands-on test).

Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 3 series features an all-new form factor, adopting the stem design and ditching the round form factor of previous generations. There are even nice touches found on other earbud alternatives, like blade-shaped lights on the stem.

Unfortunately, the new design and shape could also be causing the first product quality issues that many users have reported, particularly in South Korea, where the Galaxy Buds 3 earbuds are already available.

Based on the report from the YouTube channel IT subtitle through (Sam Mobile), Samsung’s forums and community channels are littered with complaints about defects in the Galaxy Buds 3 and Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. Among the most obvious is an issue with uneven and peeling paint on the charging case and earbuds. Additionally, there are also complaints about the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro’s blade lights not illuminating evenly.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro with paint defects — Users are reporting quality defects in the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro: peeling paint, uneven blade lights, and more. / © Samsung Members / Youtube/u/ITSub

Other related issues also affect how easily the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro earbud tips come off when removed from the earbuds. Additionally, there are instances where gaps are seen between the outer and inner earbud covers of the standard Galaxy Buds 3.

What is Samsung’s solution to the Galaxy Buds 3 issues right now?

In light of the event, Samsung was quick to acknowledge the quality issues. It also released a statement suggesting affected customers send their earbuds back to stores for replacement or refund. At the same time, Samsung said they are pausing initial sales of the Galaxy Buds 3 until further notice.

At this point, it seems that not all customers have encountered similar issues. But it should be noted that availability of the Galaxy Buds 3 remains limited at the time of writing, with general rollout expected to begin next week. From that point on, we’ll know how widespread the issues are and whether this is only limited to certain variants of the Galaxy Buds 3.

We haven’t published our full review of the Galaxy Buds 3 (Pro) yet, so we’ll definitely check out those highlighted issues if they’re present on our review units as well.

Do you have the Galaxy Buds 3? If so, did you notice any quality issues? We’d love to hear about your experience in the comments.